frotter. Cp. p
Page 79, line 22. chiffonner. That is, her carving is as easy as if she were snipping oui a bit of embroidery. Observe that her coquetting with Dutrécy is due wholly to her préférence for society over the pension, and that since Georges has withdrawn, she is beginning to regard Armand as a " divine possibility."
Page 80, line 2. cachet rouge. See p. 8, 1. 12. 9. vin pur. She had probably become accustomed to " eau rougie " at the pension. The cachet rouge, therefore, would be wasted on her, and in line 15 the epicure in Dutrécy gets the better of the lover. 19. bois, i.e. the Bois de Boulogne, the great parle of Paris. 20. pleuvoir. She does not choose to see why they should take a closed coupé, unless it was going to rain.
Page 81, line 7. escogriffe, lanky fellow, "lout." 16. béatement, "blissfully" 18. eau-de-vie. French epicures habitually take brandy in after-dinner coffee.
Page 82, line 19. C'est bien la peine, Much use it is at that âge.
Page 83, line 11. grignotte, niables. Now that she is sure of not going back to the pension, her zeal for Dutrécy cools rapidly, much to his comic chagrin.
Page 84, line 20. fait des siennes, is playing pranks.
23. avoir, hère to oblige or constrain. The whole is légal phraseology.
Page 85, Une 2. papier timbré. Légal documents, such as deeds, wills, writs, summons, as well as certain communications with public offices, are recognized only when written on stamped paper, which is of various sizes and priées, according to its intended use, and is the source of a considérable revenue. 6. mon dit, by me aforesaid. Légal. Note the légal phraseology through-
Act III, Se. iii-vi, ix -*8 Notes
out, especially sieur, requérante (petitioner) de fait (in fact, de facto, but not in law, de jure) réintégrer (re-establish). 15. qu'est-ce qui lui prend, what possesses her ? 22. code
Napoléon, the fundamental codification of French law. See Encyc. Brit. vi. 105. 25. de l'arbitraire, tyrannous or despotic. 26. susdit, aforementioned. soussigné, undersigned.
Page 86, line 3. fr., francs, c, centimes, i.e. about $1.18. 6. n'en veux pour rien au monde de, zvill hâve nothing on any account whatever to do with. Cp. p. 69, 1. 23 and p. 74, 1. 18. 12. fait son droit, studied law. 18. annuaire du Palais, légal annual almanac. The Palais de justice, often called simply " Palais," is the central law court of Paris, established on its présent site by Charles VII. in 1431. 28. un oncle, i.e. more sentiment to be paid for. See p. 54, 1. 26.
Page 87, line 4. sous-seing, légal agreement, private deed. 12. bon. Observe, but do not admire the pun. 18. à tâtons, blindly, literally " by touch," and so alluding to his turning the leaves of the Annuaire. Another poor jest. 22. bon, simple or silly hère.
Page 88, line 20. abord, manner hère.
Page 89, line 21. ferons bon ménage, shall get on nicely. 23. Allons donc ! No, really ! 25. Par exemple, still though hère.
Page 91, line 8. bleus. Cp. p. 74, 1. 13. The Latin nations admire blondes because the prevailing color is brunette. With the Teutonic races the opposite is rather the case. See also p. 97, 1. 21. 17. par exemple, hère are y ou sure? 27. Pourquoi. See p. 73, 1. 6.
Page 92, line 8. vas bien, " make quick work" Colloquial.
Page 96, line 15. Que diable, What in the dickens ! me vouloir, want ofme. 23. rêve. See p. 67, 1. 20. Page 97, line 4. monter la tête, get excited. [134]
Notes 8«- Act III. Se. ix, xi, xii
Page 98, Une 6. n'ai que faire, hâve no use for. 13. défendu, i.e. for hygienîc reasons. 15. me passe, get along zuithout. 21. petitement logé, cramped for room. 28. au grand jour, in broad daylight, i.e. openly.
Page 101, Une 7. donne, attribute. 13. de tête, in my head. 18. lui. Emphatic nominative. See p. 45, 1. 3.
21. Eh bien ! alors ? Well, then^why should not it be the same with me? Observe the récurrence of this phrase throughout the rest of the scène, which is a masterpiece comparable to that of Harpagon's sans dot in Molière's U Avare, Act I. Scène 5.
Page 102, line 10. sauf à, and rnade up for it by.
Page 103, line 3. vilain, " horrid." Colloquial in this sensé. See dictionary. 6. à la barbe, in spite of
Page 104, line 1. quand vous conduiriez, suppose y ou should hâve to take. 1 7. bedeaux, beadles or vei'gers. Church officiais corresponding somewhat to our ushers and sextons. 18. loueuse de chaises, seat-r enter. In the ordinary French church, moveable chairs are used instead of pews. The care of thèse is committed to poor women of the parish, and a fee, usually three sous, is expected for the use of one. Note that in making La Porcheraie's wife return through clérical influence, Labiche appeals to one of the strongest motives of anti-clerical agitation in France, the resentment at the interférence of the clergy in domestic relations, more marked toward the close of the Second Empire than afterward or before since the Révolution of 1830.
Page 105, line 2. au plafond, because she did not approve of the subjects. So he proposes to fresco the ceiling with two paintings from classical mythology, — the carrying of " Europa across the Hellespont " and the "Triumph of Galatea." See classical dictionary. 5. lui camper, stick up for her benefi t. Colloquial.
Page 106, line 1. dans le mouvement, hère has advanced ideas, i.e. sympathizes with a free construction of the laws on
Act III. Se. xii-xv -^8 Notes
marriage. The phrase is also slang for " in the swim." 4. pour séparer, to procure divorces. For the French law on this subject see "Report of the U. S. Commissioner of Labor, Marriage and Divorce," p. 1004, or Almanach Hachette, 1896, p. 513. 5. à la brune. Slang, on the quiet, " without scandai." 6. Philémon et Baucis, types of married love in old âge. See classical dictionary. Of course in this dialogue each follows his own train of thought, and means something quite différent from what the other understands. 10. Moins sept, Ifs seven
minutes of. 12. Je me sauve, Pm off. Compare p.
Page 107, line 6. aux eaux, at the baths or minerai springs. Cp. p. 71, 1. 21. Of the many springs in western Europe, Spa, in the valley of the Meuse in Belgium, is one of the most famous and fashionable. 9. réussissent, suit. Cp. p. 8, 1. 15. assez, pretty zuell. 21. A tout à l'heure, Fil be back in a moment^ " I'il see you again presently."
Page 108, line 2. ferrugineux, chalybeate water. 8. pour affaire, on business. 26. étais , should sur ely hâve been. The indicative gives greater vividness, implying an unfulfilled but yet certain condition. histoire, lying story, " false report." See dictionary.
Page 109, line 6. me subtiliser, "do" me oui of, " filch away from me." 11. maniaque, i.e. monomaniac, but see dictionary. 20. qu'ils s'arrangent, let them settle it between themselves. 22. collationner, collate, i.e. compare the duplicate agreements. 23. ça. Contemptuous. See p. 3, 1. 10.
Page 110, line 4. ordonnance, alluding to p. 107, 1. 5.
Page 111, line 12. organisme, constitution. 17. elle n'a rien de bon, there' ]s nothing sound about her. 27. Malte, Malta, island in the Mediterranean. 28. If anybody must take her to Egypt he would rather give her to George.
Notes 8«- Act III. Se xvi
Page 112, line 19. se faire peindre, hâve his portrait painted. The group suggests to his ironical cynicism the family groups of the typical French sentimental artist Greuze (1725-1805).
Page 113, line 4. en touche un mot, hâve a little talk about it, in which he will be shrewd enough to appeal to Fromental's sympathies, comme Barbiste. Cp. p. 18, 1. 21.
Page 114, line 10. Dame. Cp. p. 7, 1. 7, but also p. 115, 1. 23. 12. Monsieur. Cp. p. 4, 1. 4. 17. porte, that is, position as door-keeper {concierge) of a French mansion or apartment house who, from his room beside the main entrance, observes those who wish to enter, and, if he sees ht, unlatches the door by pulling a cord (tirer le cordon). Note that a citybred person would not hâve called this a gérance. 23. trop de soi. Cp. p. 32, 1. 11. 25. s'en va, is disappearing, i.e.
is getting sophisticated and spoiled.
Page 115, line 4. chez moi. First at my home and then in 1. 5. hâve a home any more. 13. faiseur, speculator. 21. fait, matters. 26. ne plus aimer que moi. This is Labiche's parting thrust. The incorrigible egoist finds even in the lesson he has just received a sophistical justification of his selfishness.
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