These sentences use the negative expression ne... guère (hardly):
Note that the negation ne... guère means not much / not very or hardly depending on context.
It is quite an old-fashioned expression, rarely used nowadays, but you could find it in older novels or articles.
As with other negative expressions, the verb is placed between ne and guère.
ATTENTION:
Guère can never be used on its own to express hardly.
Instead, you would use the expression à peine:
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