Le Petit Chose Part 20

28. non plus: see note, p. 14 l. 27.

Page 17.

1. gones: provincial slang, 'street arabs.'

2. blouse a carreaux: note the French _a_ of description where we say 'with'; cf.-

p. 33 l. 14, _un personnage a favoris rouges_.

p. 35 l. 20, _la fee aux lunettes_.

p. 35 l. 24, _l' homme aux moustaches_.

p. 42 l. 20, _l' homme aux clefs_.

p. 52 l. 28, _ses souliers a boucles_.

5. Tiens! expresses surprise and may be rendered, according to the context, by 'here!' 'look here!' 'I say!' 'halloa!'

'well, I never!' etc.

6. me prit en aversion, 'took a violent dislike to me'; cf. note, p. 14 l. 29.

7. du bout des levres, 'in a most casual manner'; cf. _rire du tout des levres_.

16. sentaient bon, 'smelt very nice.' For other adjectives used as adverbs cf. _parlant haut_ (p. 40 l. 27); _il s'arreta court_ (p. 43 l. 26); _ne pas manger tranquille_ (p 51 l. 23); _prier ferme_ (p. 56 l. 2); _il s'arreta net_ (p. 98 l. 1).

20. moisis, fanes, sentant le rance, 'mouldy, musty and frowsy.' _Sentir le rance_, 'to smell rancid,' lit.

'to smell of rancidity' (cf. _sentir le vin, le tabac_, etc.). The term 'rancid' could not be applied here.

In English it is only used of _oil_ and similar substances.

22. faisait bien de son mieux, 'did indeed his very best.'

Page 18.

4. boursier, 'foundation scholar'; cf. the Scotch 'bursar.'

6. ma foi! see note, p. 11 l. 19.

10. le givre fouettait les vitres, 'the frozen rain was beating against the window-panes.'

13. j'ai recu votre honoree du 8 courant, 'I have received your favour of the 8th instant.

Page 19. (chapter iii. full=iv)

6. fermer a double tour, 'double-lock.'

16. pour toute reponse, 'by way of answer.'

17. veste, 'jacket' _gilet_='vest,' 'waistcoat.'

Page 20.

7. songez donc! 'just think!'

10. qu'il n'y avait encore de fait que les quatre premiers vers, 'that the first four lines only were done so far.'

17. jamais il n'en put venir a bout, 'he could never get through.' _En_ is used here as the object, _ce reste_, to which it refers, precedes the verb for the sake of emphasis. Note _n'en put_, somewhat archaic for _ne put en..._

18. que voulez-vous? 'there is no help for it!' See note, p. 5 l. 12.

21. le poete eut beau faire: see note, p. 15 l. 18.

Page 21.

1. parbleu! 'of course!' See note, p. 15 l. 31.

3. si le lecteur le veut bien, 'if the reader has an objection.'

Note _lecteur, lectrice_, 'reader'; _lecture_, 'reading'; _conference_, 'lecture'; _conferencier_, 'lecturer.'

4. est en train de: cf. _etre en train de travailler_, 'to be busy working.'

5. enjambee: the suffix _-ee_ denotes _quant.i.ty_; e.g.

p. 36 l. 5, _poignee_, 'handful'; p. 47 l. 2, _nuee_, 'thick cloud,' 'swarm.'

12. la meme chanson, 'the same old tune.'

13. misere, 'poverty,' 'want,' _not_ misery'; _les miseres_, 'hards.h.i.+ps'; une misere, 'a trifle.'

les affaires qui ne vont pas, 'business not prospering.'

en r.e.t.a.r.d, 'in arrears,' 'to be paid up.'

15. l'argenterie au mont-de-piete, 'the p.a.w.ning of the family plate.'

Monts-de-piete, 'p.a.w.nshops,' were founded out of piety to enable people in straitened circ.u.mstances to escape the exorbitant usury of the Jews, and borrow money at a reasonable rate of interest.

The most ancient of these was established at Perugia, 1477, and situated on a _mountain_; hence its name. The name and system were introduced into France, where these inst.i.tutions were put under Government control. Had such benevolent establishments only been introduced into England under the same conditions thousands of people might have been saved from utter ruin.

19. huissier, 'bailiff,' lit, one who keeps the _huis_ or 'door.'

23. achevait sa philosophie, 'was finis.h.i.+ng his course of philosophy,' i.e. was completing his school education.

The order of the forms in a French school, beginning with the lowest, is _neuvieme, huitieme, septieme, sixieme, cinquieme, quatrieme, troisieme, seconde, premiere, philosophie_.

29. Eyssette pere, 'Eyssette senior' so _Eyssette fils_ (p. 24 l. 21), 'Eyssette junior.'

Page 22.

20. un parti a prendre, 'one decision to come to.' Note _prendre son parti_, 'to make up one's mind'; _epouser un bon parti_, 'to make a good match'; _tirer parti de_, 'to turn to account.' Distinguish carefully from _la part_, 'share,' and _la partie_, 'part,' 'portion,' 'game,' etc.

22. de notre cote, 'for ourselves.' Cf. note, p. 7 l. 13.

28. jusqu'a nouvel ordre, 'until matters improve.'

31. comme commis-voyageur a la societe vinicole, 'as a commercial traveller for the wine-growers' society.'