les amis de nos amis M. Poirier does not finish the
well-known saying Les amis de nos amis sont nos amis.
NOTES
13. — 12. Cassandrel Ganachel Old fooU Blockhead! In the Italian comedyi Cassandro is the name of the ridiculous old man. Hence the meaning of Cassandre in French. Ganache means, literally, "lower jaw" (of a horse).
14. un arabe dont tu me diras des nouvelles, an Arcib horse of which I ward your opinion; that you mil like; lit., ''of which you will tell me some news." Arabian horses are highly prized for their spirit and beauty.
23. Fausse sortie, sur la porte, Siarting to go ovi, (but stopping) on the threshold. Fausse sortie means, literally, "sham exit."
27. je vous en veux de, / am vexed with you for; I am angry with you for. In older French, we find en vouloir du mal d, "to wish (a person) evil or harm in the matter." Du mal is now invariably omitted.
14. — 2. Géronte, val Va and allez are often used for emphasis. Translate : Ohy you old fool! Géronte is the stock name of the gullible old man in varions French comédies. It comes from the Greek tkfxavf -oKTos, "old man.'*
16. Nous sommes solidaires, a légal expression, We are re* sponsible; Ht., "We are jointly and severçJly liable or responsible," i.e., both are responsible. Poirier as Antoinette's father. Verdelet as her godfather.
17. jumeaux siamois, Siamese ttrins, a name given to two men, Eng and Chang (1811-1874), bom of Chinese parents in Siam. Their bodies were united by a band of flesh, extending from the end of one breastbone to the same place in the opposite twin.
18. tu te mets à plat ventre, you crawl; you truMe; lit., "you put yourself flat on your stomach."
21. me jette de la poudre aux yeux, dazdes me; lit., "throws dust in my eyes." Compare the well-known comedy by Labiche and Martin La Poudre aux yeux.
22. libéral, libéral, inclined to welcome repubUcan or démocratie, as distinguished from monarchical or aristocratie, fonns of govemment.
23. Je me moque de la noblesse comme de çal I care thatfor the nobilUy! Snapping his fingers.
NOTES
15. — 1. Diable I The dickens! The word diable is more freely used in French than "devil" is in English.
3. Ne veux-tu pas que je lui fasse sentir . . .? WovM you ïum me make him feel . . .f If the infinitive used with faire has a direct object, its Personal object must be indirect. Compare Je le fais lire, "I make Him read/' and Je lui fais lire un livre, ''I make him read a book."
5. il te prend . . . exquises, you are hecoming very consideraie in your old âge; Ut., "there are seizing you somewhat late some exquisite scniples."
11. écouter monsieur I il ne manquerait plus que celai lAsten to ihe gentleman! That^s the last straw! Lit., "there would be lacking only that!*'
22. quarante mille livres de rente, a yearly incarne of forty thousand francs, a capital of some 800,000 francs.
16. — 4. S'il ne s'agissait que de toi, // it were a question of you àUme; If you were the only one to be thought of,
9. Qu'est-ce qui te prend? Whai^s the maUer with youf Lit., "V/hat is taking hold of you?" 11. Diantre! Euphemism for diable. Translate: The deuce!
16. un beau pas de clerc, a fine hlunder; Ut., "a fine step of (a) dercP A clerc is a yoimg student in theology; also, one who is studying in the ofl&ce of a notary or a lawyer. So pas de derc means a blunder cauaed by inexpérience.
23. Nous retombons dans cette litanié? Are you harping on that againf Lit., "Are we falling again into that Utany?"
