I. le gouvernement de Riazan : in Central Russia. The

capital, which has the same name, is situated on the Trubesh. ,, 9. de saules et de trembles : bear in mind that names of

trees, though féminine in Latin, are masculine in French. ,, II. dans un pli de terrain, ' in an undulation of the ground.' Note —

ceia ne fera pas un pli, ' there will not be the slightest

difficulty.' /'/ a pris -un mauvais pli, ' he has taken a bad habit. ' V071S trouverez sous ce pli . ., ' you will find enclosed . .' ,, 12. un vaste corps d'habitation, 'a large building.' Cf. corps de bâtijnent, corps de logis, ' main building,' ' detached building.' ,, 19. à hauteur d'homme: note à hauteur d'appui, ' breasthigh.'

79. 2. un propriétaire du district : this use of the indefinite

article in apposition is not strictly grammatical, but is be-

coming fréquent in familiar style.

,, II. l'empereur Alexandre I" : born in 1777, Alexander I.

ascended the throne in 1801, on the assassination of his

father, Paul I. , and died in 1825.

,, 12. à plaisir, 'wantonly.' ,, 17. qu'on ne nous a peints: give the rule for this idiomatic

use of ne.

,, 19. maintes parties: maint, ' many a,' from Germ. manch,

may be used either in the singular or in the plural, and is

often repeated : maintes et mai?ites fois. notre grand tort, à nous : note the construction, and cf.

voilà comment il lui parle, à lui son bienfaiteur, ' that is

how he speaks to him, his benefactor. ' , , 24. sur notre dos : cf. il me l'a mis sur le dos, ' he saddled me

with it,' ' he laid it at my door.' ceci dit : a sort of ablative absolute. When referring to

what has been said before, ce/a should be used instead of ceci. à notre décharge : cf. ttn témoin à décharge, ' a witness

for the defence ' (p. 19 1. 14).

80. 2. la garde, ' guard,' 'watch,' 'care,' etc. ; le garde, ' guards-

man,' 'warden,' 'keeper,' etc.

gens de sac et de corde, ' regular scoundrels. '

122 Cœurs russes

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