SCÈNE VI

8. Comment lui dire. Deliberative questions, usually in the first person, are often expressed by the simple infinitive.

19. vous serait-il égal, would it be all the same to you to . . .

Page 21. — 3. mettre sur la voie, set straight, give a hint.

9. drôle de conversation, crazy conversation. See note, p. 11, 11. 11-12.

20. dise. The subjunctive is regularly used after verbs of willing, wishing, desiring, etc.

20. seras. The future tense is frequently used to denote possibility or probability. Cf. note, p. 3, 1. 20.

24. ne plus. With an infinitive the double negatives are both frequently placed before the verb instead of being separated. This is not true of ne . . . personne, is fairly common for ne .. . plus, but is almost invariable for all the others.

28. doit le faire. Il as subject and le as object are frequently used as invariable neutral forms when the antecedent is one to which gender can not be ascribed. This neutral form of le is often pleonastic, as compared with English usage. Thus: Ce qu'il voulait, il le veut encore; Faites du bien, quand vous le pouvez; and the present example.