les bois de la Malmaison. The park of la Malmaison

a château, ten miles west of Paris, once the résidence of Joséphine, vriie of Napoléon I.

14. VOUS êtes paide en affaires, ' you are stiff to deal with,' ' hard to handle. '

16. éplucher, ' criticise.' In primary significations the word

is used of cleaning or sorting vegetables, or the like. Hère its use is familiar and satirical.