il fallait que j'eusse . . . perdu, / must hâve lost

A literal translation of the forms of falloir should generally be avoided.

27. ne laissa pas que de m'embarrasser, did nothing but embarrass me, did not f ail to embarrass me. Note that que is redundant, and is sometimes used and sometimes omitted in this sensé. When used it points out more definitely the logical object of the previous verb.

29. que je baisse, that I am on the décline ; i. e., losing my

powers.