[149] CELA NE RESSEMBLEROIT PLUS A RIEN. The sense is: "My attitude towards you would be so extraordinary that it might become compromising" (Larroumet). [150] IL N'EN SEROIT NI PLUS NI MOINS = _Cela ne changerait rien_.' It would make no difference.' [151] J'AMUSERAI, 'Shall I flatter with vain hopes?' Compare: "Il veut que je l'amuse, et ne veut rien de plus" (Corneille, _Sertorius_, II, 3). "Car vous lui promettez tous les huit jours de l'epouser dans la semaine, et il y a pres d'un an que vous l'amusez" (Dancourt, _Le Chevalier a la Mode_, I, 7). [152] JE T'EN ASSURE. The _en_ here is unconnected with any other part of the sentence. In modern construction it would not be used. [153] TE RENDRE SENSIBLE. An expression very frequently, indeed generally, used in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries for _me faire aimer de toi_. A reminiscence of the days and modes of thought of the _precieuses_ and the whole tribe of writers of novels after the manner of _l'Astree_. [154] SANS DIFFICULTE, 'Undoubtedly.' [155] IL NE MANQUOIT PLUS QUE CETTE FACON-LA, 'This is the finishing stroke.' [156] DANS LE RESPECT. The modern form is _par le respect_. [157] POUR DANS. An awkward expression. The _pour_ might better have been omitted. Later editions give simply _dans_. [158] HUMEUR. 'Temper,' [159] SI FORT SUR LE QUI-VIVE, 'Take offence so readily.' [160] DANS QUELLE IDEE. _De would be used nowadays instead of _dans. [161] QUI NE ME CHOQUE. In relative clauses depending upon a negative antecedent, the second part of the negative (_pas_) in the relative clause is generally omitted. [162] CES MOUVEMENTS-LA. 'Emotion.' Compare: "D'un mouvement jaloux je ne fus pas maitresse" (Racine. _Bajazet_. I. 4). "L'ame n'est qu'une suite continuelle d'idees et de sentiments qui se succedent et se detruisent: les mouvements qui reviennent le plus souvent forment ce qu'on appelle le caractere" (Voltaire, _Supplement au siecle de Louis XIV_. 2e partie). [163] QUERELLEE, 'Taken her to task.' [164] UN ESPRIT. In ordinary French of the present day the _un_ would be omitted. [165] SURPRISE. The feminine form of the participle is admissible after _on_. [166] UN MAUVAIS ESPRIT. Referring to Silvia, although the idea is clear, grammatical consistency is overthrown in the next line when the pronoun _la_ is used instead of _le_. [167] DE LA CONSEQUENCE, 'What may be inferred.' [168] EST. Some later editions give _soit_. This difference in the mode used in various editions is but another proof of the elasticity of the subjunctive in French. Either mode is here correct, the indicative expressing greater positiveness, and the subjunctive more doubt, in the supposition. [169] J'Y METS BON ORDRE, 'I look after that,' or 'I see that he doesn't. See note 104. [170] APOSTILLE, 'Observation.' Literally 'postscript,' from _ad_ and _postillam_ (low Latin for 'explanation,' 'note.' Littre). [171] AIMABLE, 'Courteous.' [172] QUE TU NE ME CHAGRINES. See note 137.