a man. since he only lives by begging (demandant l'aumône) ? His neighbors will take care of him (en auront soin); he is so good - Have your children had the measles? No, never. Is it not breakfast-time? Not yet; it is only a quarter past ten. I thought it was later; I begin to be hungry. Take a bit of cake (gâteau) while waiting for the breakfast. No, thank you, it is not worth while; I shall wait. 5 1 Lettre de Commerce. With the hope of increasing the number of our correspondents in England, we have desired 3 several of our friends to inform us of the houses of that country with which we could do business with safety 6. As we have been assured of your integrity 7, and of the good commissions you give for the sale and purchase of various goods, we beg of you to accept our services, which we offer you on all occasions, our principal commerce consisting in the purchase and sale of silk goods 9. We flatter ourselves that, when you know our method of transacting business 10, and of consulting the interest of our customers 11, , you will readily consent to carry on a connection which can be equally useful and advantageous to both parties. You can, on your part 13, make inquiries 14 of whom you please concerning our firm 15; we are persuaded that nobody will say any thing to our disadvantage. We hope that you will favor us 16 12 with your orders. Be assured of our attention and vigilance in striving to promote 17 your interest. Believe us to be, gentlemen, with the best Yours truly 18, wishes, 1 dans l'espérance; 2 d'augmenter; 9 6 3 DUMONT, SONS & Co. 8 nous vous 4 avons prié ; nous faire connaître; négocier ; en toute sécurité; 7 probité; prions; 10 soieries; notre manière d'opérer; 11 et de ménager les intérêts de nos commettants; vous vous prêterez volontiers à 13 de votre côté; continuer ; 15 prendre des informations; sur notre maison; 12 14 16 18 17 vous nous honorerez; à vous bien servir; agréez, messieurs, nos salutations empressées. TWENTY-SECOND LESSON-Vingt-deuxième Leçon. To be thoroughly acquainted with. Etre au fait, au courant de. Can not the town afford to have La ville n'a-t-elle pas les moyens I have; it is a question of economy. Oui; il s'agit de faire des écono I do not meddle with the affairs of Je ne me mêle pas des affaires others. It depends on the persons. Don't trouble yourself about that. des autres. Cela dépend des personnes. Ne vous inquiétez pas de cela. That raises suspicions in my mind. Cela fait naître des soupçons dans mon esprit. CONVERSATION. Avez-vous visité les égouts de Paris? Quels sont les noms des faubourgs de Paris? Y a-t-il de larges trottoirs? Combien y a-t-il de cimetières? Y a-t-il de grands quais? Paris est-il bien éclairé la nuit? Quelle est votre église paroissiale. Dans quelle rue demeurez-vous? Pensez-vous que mes moyens me permettent de louer un appartement dans votre quartier? Faudrait-il que je me démisse de ma place? Pourrais-je trouver une autre place à Paris? Où êtes-vous né? N'êtes-vous pas né la même année que moi? Avez-vous renoncé à la pêche? 22. Of what do you complain? I complain because every time I try to speak English, instead of helping me (m'aider), they laugh in my face. Why, it is very bad; I sincerely pity you, and I regret that I am not able to put an end (mettre fin) to your troubles (ennuis). I can no longer trust any one, and I am entirely discouraged. You ought to go to London to practice (pour vous exercer) speaking. I should like to do so, but I can not afford it. Madam, I have the honor of introducing my father to you; he (qui) very frequently inquired of you and your family (des vôtres). I am very happy, sir, to make the acquaintance of our young friend's father. The troops have taken possession of the little town of X.? What a misfortune! - Do you distrust your neighbor? On the contrary, we have the greatest confidence (confiance) in him.— The conduct (la conduite) of that man has raised suspicions in my mind. Our purpose is, not to play, children, but to work seriously. - May I rely upon you? Yes; we will try hard to do your pleasure. — When did you dislocate your arm, Charles? Yesterday, while (en) running after Arthur, I fell down in the street, on the pavement, and I dislocated and almost broke my arm. Have you seen the surgeon (chirurgien)? Yes; he told me it would be of no consequence. I see you are courageous. The Horse and the Beet-root. 1 When Louis XI was Dauphin, he used frequently, in his walks, to visit the family of a peasant, and partake of2 their frugal meals. Sometime after the accession of this prince to the throne of France, the peasant presented him an extraordinary beet-root, the production of his garden. Louis, to reward the poor man for his attention, and to show that he had not forgotten the rustic cottage5, gave him a thousand crowns 6. The village 'squire 7, on hearing of the peasant's good luck, thought if he gave a good horse to the king, his fortune would be made. He therefore procured a very handsome one, went to the palace, and begged the king to do him the honor of accepting it. Louis thanked him for his polite attention, and ordered one of his pages to fetch the beet-root. When it was brought, he presented it to the 'squire, saying, “Sir, as you seem to be an admirer of the works of nature, I beg you to accept one of its extraordinary productions. I paid a thousand crowns for this root, which can not be matched, and I am happy to have so good an opportunity of rewarding your disinterested loyalty." 6 1 betterave; 2 prenait part; 3 5 repas; avénement; chaumière; 3 écus; 7 le notable, le principal du village; œuvres; 9 qui n'a pas sa pareille. |