en plein midi, ' in the very middle of the day

25. 4. comme qui dirait : i.e. en quelque sorte, pour ainsi dire. 9. galerie : mind the spelling.

12. musée : masculine, though ending with an e mute preceded by a vowel. Cf. apogée, lycée, scarabée, trophée, etc.

20. une néréide : the nereids, or sea-nymphs, in classical mythology were represented sometimes with the human form entire, and sometimes with the tail of a fish.