sans me laisser abattre, without giving way to dejection

4. aller sur les brisées, etc., try to compete with Providence (lit. "to enter the domain [preserves, etc.] of another"). — brisées, primarily the track of deer through the wood, marked by broken branches, or, according to Littré, the place for deer marked by broken branches by the foresters, hence the place where deer is kept, preserves.

Page 21. — 1. ferrets en diamants, tabs set with diamonds.

Page 22. — 1. OÙ . . , rien, In which I am not concerned at all. 2. vous voilà averti, you are now informed.

Page 23. — 1. Elle . . . mal, She is really not bad looking.

2. des titres, not titles, but a certain social rank, education, etc., hence proofs of being entitled, etc.