Le Petit Chose Part 40

12. A few people were waiting for the coach on the parade-ground, walking to and fro in front of the office.

13. The whole town seemed to have been asleep for years.

14. As soon as I knocked, the door opened of its own accord.

15. A porter, holding a big lantern in his hand, came up to me with a sleepy look.

16. He had promised us that he would come as soon as he had finished what he was doing.

VII (pp. 31-35)

1. A tall handsome fellow with a fair moustache was sipping a gla.s.s of brandy by the side of a short thin woman as yellow as a quince.

2. "The gentleman is so short," said he, pointing to me, "that I mistook him at first for a pupil."

3. Thereupon they began to speak in a low voice, casting sidelong glances at me.

4. Right at the back of the study a man was writing by the pale light of a lamp.

5. When he had finished his work, the headmaster turned to me.

6. "Why! this is a child!" he exclaimed; "what do they want me to do with a child?"

7. After reading the letter he told me that he consented to keep me, although he had fears as to my inexperience.

8. The main point is that the thing should be done at once.

9. I could have wished him to have had a thousand hands in order to kiss them all.

10. A man with red whiskers had just entered the room without anyone having heard him.

11. "If you stir, little scamp," said he, "beware!"

12. I was wandering in the dark, trying to find my bearings, when I heard some one coming to meet me.

13. However powerful they may be, we do not fear them.

14. I continued to group along, but my heart was beating fast.

15. On the way I heard that that man, who looked a very good fellow, was a fencing-master.

VIII (pp. 36-40)

1. We parted at the door with a good deal of hand-shaking.

2. Do you think that you will be able to carry out your plan all by yourself?

3. I immediately began to read the doc.u.ment in order to post myself up in my new duties.

4. The ushers had a right to half a bottle of wine at every meal.

5. I had scarcely gone to sleep when I woke up with a start.

6. When your colleagues come back, I will introduce you to them.

7. The tallest of them, the one I was going to replace, spoke first.

8. "By Jove!" he exclaimed cheerfully, "you may well say so"

(_use the word 'cas'_).

9. I would have given anything in the world to have been only a few inches taller.

10. "Never mind," he added, stretching out his hand to me; "although we are not built to be measured by the same standard, we can all the same empty a few flasks together."

11. I want you to be one of our party.

12. What struck you on entering was the number of shakos hanging on the pegs.

13. On the whole you have fallen on your feet in coming here; you will not be so badly off.

14. All my colleagues ruled their pupils with a rod of iron.

15. Little by little he felt less timid and soon rose with his gla.s.s in his hand.

IX (pp. 41-45)

1. My neighbour was a youth of good family who had gone the pace a bit.

2. Everything was so silent that you might have thought the house was empty.

3. Come to me as soon as you have done.

4. And thus it was that I began my new career.

5. My boys were as yet untouched by the atmosphere of the school.

6. Even in winter the windows were always wide open.

7. It is for you especially (_use the word "intention"_) that I have composed this little tale.

8. Remember that I do not want you to speak in this way.

9. The narrator stopped short with one hand in the air.

10. Do you not miss your friend a good deal?

11. The college was divided into three departments: the Senior School, the Middle School and the Junior School.

12. As for him, he might smile at me as much as he liked, I could not like him.

13. When you see them, tell them I owe them no grudge.

14. As soon as he was in, he double-locked the door.

15. Twice a week we went to that spot, half a league from the town.

X (pp. 51-55)

1. Usually on those occasions I had the whole college on my hands.

2. Most of them used to fall into step splendidly.

3. It was in vain I spoke to him, he refused to listen to me.

4. The poor fellow was ridiculously short, badly dressed, redolent of the gutter, and, to crown all, dreadfully bandy-legged.

5. We always had at our heels a swarm of ragam.u.f.fins turning cart-wheels behind us.

6. The little imp was smiling as if nothing were the matter.

7. The whole division began to go off at a frightful pace.

8. He was the son of a farrier, who was working himself to death for his education.

9. We have been waiting for you for more than twenty minutes.

10. I often looked at him, putting out his tongue and leaning on his pen with all his might.

11. As soon as he had finished his work, he used to go out.

12. On that day he went out as soon as he had finished his work.

13. The grotto was so low that we were obliged to go in on all fours.

14. I wonder whether I shall ever succeed in teaching him anything.

15. Do you know what has become of my letter?

XI (pp. 51-55)

1. How can you hope to find anything good at the rate of seventy-five francs a term?

2. How dreadful it is to see snares everywhere and to be always on the alert!

3. Were I to live a hundred years, I should never forget all I suffered.

4. You may accept if you like, but I do not see what you will gain by it.

5. It seems that at the last moment he has changed his mind.

6. The windows of the dining-room looked out on to the garden.

7. The head master spoke little, and in a curt, gruff voice.

8. There was not one street in the town that he did not know.

9. I have a mind to go, and I will go, come what may.

10. I had been told that his library contained more than two thousand volumes, and I had no doubt but that I should find there the book I wanted.

11. My neighbour was sitting astride a low chair, with his legs stretched out.

12. I at length succeeded in explaining as well as I could the object of my visit.

13. Mind you don't spoil my book, or I'll cut off your ears!

14. They might just as well have finished whilst they were at it.