à qui plus tôt y sera; the construction is — 'as to wlio

sooner there will be,' in jdain English — which of us loill bc thcre first.

11. se mit à, preterite indic. of se mettre à — to set la, to hegin

to, to start.

de toute sa force, see note to p. 4^ 1. 25 ; we might render it hère by — asfast as he could.

13. s'amuser à means not only to amuse one' s self, but also to triflc away one's lime.

16. longtemps à arriver; the French infnitivc preceded b}' à very often answers to the English verbal form in -ini/, preceded by m.