il ne me manquait plus que cela : the verb in this

idioiii is used ironically ; manquer meaus ' to be waiitiug'; il is iinpersoual. Hence the literal meaiiing ' notliing but that was wanting to me,' but tbe speaker raeans the opposite, ' that is the last thing in the world I wanted,' and by extension, ' that crowns ail,' or ' wliat next, I wonder ! ' or ' that 's the last straw,' or ' that does for nie.'

15. 5. la bannière étoilée des États-Unis : see note, p. 3 1. 9.

,, 13. une méchante ruse : méchant is one of the adjectives ■\vhich hâve two différent meanings when tliey précède the noun ; inéchayit precediug a noun nieans 'wicked,' e.g. un méchant homme, ' a wicked man,' or ' poor (in quality) ' ; un méchant 2^oète, 'a poor (inferior) poet ' ; onéchant following a noun nieans 'niischievous,' ' spiteful,' e.g. il a la mine méchante, ' he has an ill-uatured look ' ; des vers méchants, ' spiteful verses. '