[22.]--6. serait-ce vous. The conditional here expresses uncertainty; it should be rendered in English by "could" not by "would."
[24.]--14. reviens-nous. Note the use of the indirect object (instead of à nous) with a verb of motion.
GUY DE MAUPASSANT
Miromesnil (Seine-Supérieure), 1850-Paris, 1893
De Maupassant was a godson and disciple of Flaubert, thus his name is closely connected with the Naturalistic School, which goes back to Madame Bovary, Flaubert's masterpiece. The leading writers of this school are: Flaubert, the de Goncourt brothers, Daudet (only in portions of his work), Zola and Maupassant. Maupassant is known as a writer of short stories and as a novelist. His work is at times pessimistic and morbid, in this respect he represents the worst side of the Naturalists; he had, however, a remarkable power of observation and the "saving gift of irony," and was a master of style, the chief characteristics of which are strength and simplicity. In the artistic composition of the short story he is probably unsurpassed. Important works: Des Vers (1880), Une Vie (1883), Bel Ami (1885), Mont Oriol (1881), Pierre et Jean (1888), Fort comme la Mort (1889), and especially several collections of Contes.
Edition: Havard, 9 vols.; Ollendorff, 8 vols.
LA MAIN
[27.]--20. qu'entourent partout de hautes montagnes. Note the inversion in the relative clause.
28. ce terrible préjugé corse. Compare Mérimée's Colomba.
[28.]--10. on prétendit que c'était. Prétendre, "to maintain," has the construction of a verb of saying, prétendre, "to require" or "to insist on," takes the subjunctive.