la route de Tours, ' the road to Tours

22. ce fut bien autre chose, *• it was far more wonderfiil,' literally, *something else indeed.' The phrase standing by itself, ce is used. If a clause had foUowed the phrase * it was something else,' il would hâve been used. Eve § 72 (i), (3).

26. c'étaient les maîtres. Where followed by a plural noun, c^est^ àitait &c., generally take plurals. Eve § 70.

27. le jour de la Saint-NiXK>las. Fête is understood after la. St Nicholas' day is December 6th. He is the patron saint of children, and has been corrupted into * Santa Klaus.'

28. à leurs cheveux rasés. Hère the dative is used of the mark by which récognition is efifected. Eve § 150.

Page 27.

z. enseigne, * sign.' Enseigne^ generally féminine, is masculine in the sensé of * an ensign/ an officer. In the Middle Ages every trader had a sign to show his business — as a glove, a loaf, &c. This is still the case in Russia, where shop Windows are small and a large part of the population cannot read.