XIII.

2: On leur... témoins: Witnesses get into trouble with the law.

3: Encore un (ingrat): Perrichon of course is the first.

ACTE VI, SCÈNE III

1: Ce sont... renvoient: They are actually turning him out of the house.

ACTE VI, SCÈNE IV

1: très actif: a hustler.

2: mettait: for aurait mis. See acte II, scène III.--Mettre la main dessus: a familiar expression for «pounce down upon.»

3: Qui ça: Thank whom? Qui is accusative. Ça merely adds emphasis to the question. See acte IV, scène X.

4: c'est que: see acte III, scène XII. Here: «(I hardly think so) because...» Tr., I'm afraid...

ACTE VI, SCÈNE V

1: après: what of it?

2: plus les frais: when as here the mathematical plus is used, the final «s» is always sounded.

3: Je me plais à l'espérer: I should hope so, sir! Lit., «I fondly hope so.»

4: ils: the police of course.--M. Perrichon suddenly realizes that the police are not likely to be on hand two hours later than the appointedtime. Hence his immediate change of attitude.

5: Qu'avez-vous donc: this idiom, meaning of course «What is the matter?» must be so translated as to lead up to Perrichon's reply: What is it?--It is... it is... it is a noble thing, to my mind, toacknowledge, etc.

6: N'envenimez pas: Don't make matters worse!

7: de bonne grâce: of your own free will; lit., «with a goodgrace.»--échappées à votre improvisation: which fell from your unguardedpen; lit., «which escaped you while you were writing extempore,» withoutcareful consideration.

8: maintenant c'est la France: the ancient Duchy of Savoy had just (in 1860) been ceded to Napoleon III by the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel, in acknowledgment of help received. Perrichon responds with a cheer in the words of his bombastic farewell of the first act: any thing for a diversion. Jean makes a jokes to which there is some depth: it seems less far away if it is within the borders of your own country. Alaska seems nearer now than it did when belonging to Russia.

9: je me recommande à vous: I trust you will bear me in mind.

10: je te donne ton compte: I discharge you. His compte, i.e. «account,»«wages,» will be settled before he goes.

ACTE IV, SCÈNE VI

1: à la fin: our anyhow.

2: c'est... envahissez: it is intrusion, positive invasion!--On ne me domine pas! No, sir! You don't lord it over me, sir!

ACTE IV, SCÈNE VIII

1: l'heure de la philosophie: i.e. the time to show that superiority to fortune's caprices which is given by philosophy, or the study of wisdom.

2: passion malheureuse: the regular phrase for an «unrequited attachment.»

3: j'ai vécu plus que vous: I have seen more of life than you have.--unmonde plus avancé: a more wide-awake crowd.

4: gens d'esprit: clever people, the opposite of imbéciles.

5: Vous voyez bien: supply: «that you do yourself what you blame me for doing.»

6: votre obligé: your debtor; lit., «he is under an obligation to you.»

7: un aimable philosophe: doubtless of the author's private acquaintance, as no such epigram is on record elsewhere.

8: Aussi: see acte II, scène IV, note 6.

9: il lui pousse des plumes de paon, etc.: a crop of peacock's feathers sprouts from his coat-tails.

10: gardez-moi le secret: don't give me away.

11: du haut... protège: a humorous parody of Napoleon I's famous address to his troops in Egypt: Du haut de ces pyramides quarante sièclesvous contemplent!

ACTE IV, SCÈNE IX

1: Attrape: Stung! Lit., «Take that!» addressed to himself. Attrape! is used as an exclamation accompanying a cuff, a kick, etc. Daniel means that this speech is «a slap for him.»

2: Je vous en prie: Please don't.

ACTE VI, SCÈNE X

1: J'ai gardé la voiture de monsieur. Observe Majorin's meanness to the end, and his lame excuse for driving about at Daniel's expense.

2: comme ça: i.e. unable to «bear the burden» of gratitude.

3: le numéro, etc.: a Paris cabman delivers to his fare a paper (carte) on which are printed the number of the cab and a tariff of prices. He is engaged either à la course, i.e. at one fare (generally thirty cents) between any two points within the city limits, or à l'heure, i.e. by the hour at a rate of generally forty cents for the first hour, and so much for each additional quarter of an hour.

4: vous n'y pensez pas: that's out of the question!--Et = «And (what about)...»

5: commandant... commandé: a slip of the tongue showing that Perrichon has the Major «on the brain.» Cf. acte III, scène VII. Try to devise some equivalent pleasantry in English.

EXERCISES FOR COMPOSITION