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The Soul of a Bishop
The Soul of a Bishop

Chapter XXIV

Cover illustration for The Soul of a Bishop
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.
“And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.
God comes first....”
“They must not come between God and me....”
“But there is more in it than that.”
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Soul of a Bishop

Chapter XXIV

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.
Line 2
“And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.
Line 3
God comes first....”
Line 4
“They must not come between God and me....”
Line 5
“But there is more in it than that.”

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.”

Across preposition US /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading “The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.”

Already noun US /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.”

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading ““They must not come between God and me....””

Chilly adjective US /ˈtʃɪli/

unpleasantly cold

From this reading “The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.”

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““They must not come between God and me....””

Duty noun US /ˈduːti/

a responsibility that must be carried out

From this reading “The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “God comes first....””

Forgotten adjective US /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading “The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading ““And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.”

Though conjunction US /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading ““And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.”

All words in this reading · 77

Every word is available to listen to. 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 The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

alreadynounUS /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

bands

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

barred

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

bear

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “They must not come between God and me....”

black

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

bluish

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

brightness

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

children

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

chill

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

chillyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪli/

unpleasantly cold

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “They must not come between God and me....”

comes

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

From this reading God comes first....”

comfort

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

dark

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

deep

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

definite

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

deflect

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

dim

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

drawn

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

a responsibility that must be carried out

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

evening

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading God comes first....”

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

God

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

From this reading God comes first....”

God's

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

growing

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “But there is more in it than that.”

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

kingdom

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “They must not come between God and me....”

means

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

more

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

From this reading “But there is more in it than that.”

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

now

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

place

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

plain

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

purple

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

security

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

serve

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

sky

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

sun

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading “But there is more in it than that.”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

there

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

From this reading “But there is more in it than that.”

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “They must not come between God and me....”

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

trees

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

understanding

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

very

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

wife

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The evening was growing dark and chill about him now, the sky was barred with deep bluish purple bands drawn across a chilly brightness that had already forgotten the sun, the trees were black and dim, but his understanding of his place and duty was growing very definite.

witness

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

From this reading “And this duty to bear witness to God's kingdom and serve it is so plain that I must not deflect my witness even by a little, though to do so means comfort and security for my wife and children.