c'est selon, i.e. cela dépendra des circonstances

,, 9. son bâton de maréchal, ' his field -marshars staff,' i.e. ' the height of his ambition ' ; referring to the possibility in the French army of attaining to the highest military rank, though starting from the lowest. Hence the saying : Tout soldat français porte dans sa giberne le bâton de maréchal de France, which is attributed to Napoléon I. It occurs in La Vie Militaire sous V Empire, by E. Blaze (Paris, 1837), i. p. 5. ,, II. il a jeté son dévolu, 'he has fixed his choice.' Dévolu, from Lat. devolvere, really means ' lapse of right,' and is not accurately used in this sentence. Jeter un dévolu implies ' to secure a provision,' ' to lay a claim to,' through lapse of right or escheat ; jeter son dévolu (inasmuch as the implied lapse of right is but a création of one's fancy or earnest désire) only expresses a wish that one's yearning or ambition may become a real fact.

panonceaux, 'double escutcheon,' by which a légal office (such as that of a notary) may be recognised. ,, 15. lustrine, 'lustring' ; a kind of shiny stuff, so called from

the lustre or sheen given it.

,, 19. être bourgeois, ' to be one of the middle class.' , , 20. ce rural, ' this clodhopper. '

, , 24. parloir, ' parlour, ' the room in a school where the pupils are allowed, at certain hours on certain days, to meet and talk to their parents or friends.

des honteux, ' of the shy, shamefaced ones. ' ,, 28. à coiflfe blanche, 'with a white mob-cap.' Note the use of ^, with or without article, to mark —

instrument : fait à la machine, ' donc by machinery. ' purpose : rine boîte aux lettres, ' a letter-box. ' part of dress or body, or peculiarity by which to distinguish : la dame aux camélias, au manteau bleu, au grand nez, à cheveux plats, la ville aux sept collines. the way in which a thing is done or fashioned : agir à la {façon) légère, ' to act thoughtlessly ' ; s'habiller à la {mode) française ; un ameublement à la {manière de) Louis XV, ' furniture in the style of Louis XV.'

6. 9. si vous voulez, 'well, yes, if you insist on it.' ,, 12. pour le quart d'heure, ' for the time being, '

,, 13. renverser le pouce, 'to turn down his thumb.' In the Roman games, a sign that the vanquished gladiator should , be put to death. Pollice verso.

Notes III

Page LiNH

6. 20. bat des mains : note ihe use of d^, with or without article,

to mark : —

instrument or means ; frapper du pied, metiacer des yeux,

tuer d'un coup dépée.

time : de bonne heure, ' early ' ; du vivant de César, ' in

Caesar's life-time.' measure : trop grand de la tête, ' too tall by the head ' ; âgé

de dix-huit ans, ' eighteen years old. ' respect (i.e. as regards) : rester jeune de cœur, ' to remain

young at heart.' manner : arn/é de toutes pièces, ' armed cap-à-pie.

. , 22. j'ai mont^ : distinguish between the two intransitive vcrbs, j'ai monté and je suis monté.

,, 24. a redoublé, ' bas had to do (the fourth) again ' ; i.e. ' unable to be promoted to the higher form {/a troisième), he has had to go through the same form once more. '

les grands : see note p. 2. 1. 4.

7. 7. CX>llé à récrit, ' ploughed in the written exam. ' In France

a candidate must pass the written examination before he is allowed to présent himself for the oral. Coller, ' to stick, ' from colle, 'sticking stuff,' in school slang a catchy question set by an examiner to embarrass a candidate, at which he may ' stick ' fast, and so be unable to go on with his examination.

,, 12. à la session d'août, ' at the August session (of examiners) ' ; the spécial time for the baccalauréat examinations.

.. 13. ça lui fait une situation, ' that gives him a standing.'

,. 15. bahut, ' an old coffer, or chest, or cupboard ' ; hence, figurativdy, the four walls of the school in which students are shut.

., 18. il potasse, ' he is reading up,' ' he crams.' Potasser, school slang, ' to sap,' ' to mug,' but with little success. Potache, a student in a lycée.

,, 19. le manuel {du baccalauréat).

,, 21. en étude, 'in the study,' in contradistinction to ^« c/ajj^. ,, 22. les pouces en tampon, 'his thumbs plugwise' (to prevent any noise around from reaching him).

8. 4. se garder : the se is redundant and useless. This, as well

as several expressions to be met with further, point out the mother as uneducated.