Ahl ç€L — I say, or, tell me, then I

19. Ils''agitdebd. — Hus interestwas at stake; or, ^e is in danger. See Note 18.

20. Quinze jours should not, as a gênerai thtng, be translated by fifteen days. It oorrespcMids to a fortni^t; ta, nuit jours, in c(»nmon conversatioiu corresponds to a week. The différence arises from the fact that botn the first and last day are counted in French, while they are not in Englislu

21. A la Mme heure. — This expression, which is constantly recurrinff, cannot always be translated in English. It means. well and good, and merely dénotes the satisfaction of the speaker. It must be rendered according to the context. In this instance it might, perhaps, be translated, How kind you are, dear aunt. Au moins means at least. It must oflen be left nntranslated, or rendered by indeed.

22. Servons-nons-en. — Let me make use of it. The first person plural of the imperative must thus be used. as there exists in French no form for the first person singular. A lew Unes farther, the Gountess says. Ne regardons pas.

ACT n.

28. Fête. — The fête of a person is, in reality, the saint's day. The spirit rather than the literal meaning of the word is given when it is rendered in English by birthday.

24. Brigadier de gendarmerie. — Oorporalof a brigade. A Brigade de gendarmerie is composed of four or six gensdarmes. The gensdarmes (gens d'armes) are mounted policemen. It will be seen by this that great care must be taken not to be misled by a simUarity of sound in military titles, as major, brigadier, etc., convey quite différent ideas in French and'in English.

25. Brava. — In English, the masculine form of this Italian word, hravo is alone used. le French, this is also tlie most common form, though brava is sometimes used when a woman is applauded.

26. Original. —• This word is often mîsunderstood, because it is coufounded with originel. Originel means original, primitive; original means original (not copied), eccentric, stranse, whimsicid, odd, queer. It often occurs that two adjectives in al and d vary in meaning in a Bimilar way, the former having acqnired a signification only remotely connected with the primitive, as partiel, parUaL