qui ne tiennent à rien, ' without any connexion.' Note

à quoi cela tient-il f ' what is the reason of that ? ' çjt'à cela ne tienne, ' never mind that.' // ne tient pas à lui qu'il n'en soit ainsi, ' it does not dépend on him that it should be so. '

, ,. . , r ' I don't care for it any more." je n y tiens plus, { .^ . . j ■. 1

■' -^ ^ yi cannot stand it any longer.

8. il semble que only requires the subjunctive when the follow-

ing statement is presented as doubtful, which is generally the case if il semble has no indirect object. Cf. —

il semblait que nous fussions perdus.

il me semblait que nous étions perdus.

,, 12. télègue : a sort of Russian vehicle. The gender does not appear to be quite fixed, as some writers make it masculine.

,, 13. maigre: notice —

uti maigre repas, ' a sorry meal.' tin repas maigre, ' a fish meal. '

,, 18. vaurien: from the verh vaut a.nd rien. Cf. fainéant (J'ai/,

néant).

,, 20. touloupe : a sort of sheepskin.

,, 22. jeter des sorts, ' to throw spells. ' Note —

le sort en est jeté, ' the die is cast. '

tirer au sort, ' to draw lots. '

tomber au sort, ' to draw a bad number (at the conscription). '

14. 3. lunettes, ' spectacles ' ; lunette, ' télescope, ' ' spy - glass. '

Cf. ciseau, 'chisel,' ciseaux,/ sc'issors' ; denier, 'farthing,' 'mite,' deniers, 'money,' etc.

,, 4. à trois verstes : the verst, containing 3500 feet, is about equal to two-thirds of a mile, cela : see note, p. ni. 20.

6. quoi d'étonnant . . : this construction of «^kw with a verb understood is a Latinism. Cf. quid novi f

s'ils regardent de travers, ' if they look askance.' Note — vous vous y prenez de travers, ' you set about it the wrong

way. ' il a r esprit de travers, ' he is wrong-headed. '

Notes 97

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