Depuis un mois paysans. ' For a month he has

done nothing but chat with the farmers.' In France paysan is about the équivalent of farmer in Canada ; sometimes cultivateur is used ; and fermier if * tenant farmer' is meant. For tense see note to line 23, page 2.

16. il a été, *he was.' So, too, in the next line, est revenu,

* came back. ' The use of this tense, for the past definite, has become very common, particularly in familiar discourse.