Le Petit Chose Part 25

13. on lui avait donne un modele de batons, 'they had set him some pot-hooks and hangers to copy.'

16. grand Dieu! see note, p. 12 l. 22.

22. a pleines mains, 'tightly in his hand.' Cf.- _donner a pleines mains_, 'to give generously.'

Page 50.

6. je serais venu a bout de lui apprendre . ., 'I should have managed to teach him . .'

11. rhetoricien, 'sixth-form boy.'

16. a l'uvre, 'at their tricks.'

17. me serrait le cur, 'depressed me.'

Page 51. (chapter vi. full=vii)

2. a mon intention: see note, p. 43 l. 14.

8. metayers: a _metayer_ is a farmer who gives the owner of the land a certain part of the produce of his _metairie_ or 'farm,' keeping the rest for himself.

14. Pion: a term of contempt given by schoolboys to a _maitre d'etude_ or 'usher.'

25. ah! mon Dieu! see note, p. 8 l. 14.

Page 52.

9. donnait sur: cf.- _la salle a manger donne sur le jardin_, 'the dining-room looks out on to the garden.'

14. aux enfants trouves, 'at the Foundling Hospital.'

20. l'abbe Germane: see note, p. 4 l. 23.

25. d'une voix breve et ca.s.sante, 'in a curt, gruff voice.'

Page 53.

2. un Mirabeau en soutane, 'a regular Mirabeau in a ca.s.sock.'

Mirabeau (1749-1791) was the greatest orator of the French Revolution, a man of fearless temperament and a bold, impetuous disposition. He would have enjoyed no small share of manly beauty had he not, when a little child, been sorely disfigured for life by the smallpox.

28. Condillac: a celebrated French philosopher, born at Gren.o.ble, 1715.

He died in 1780.

30. bibliotheque, 'library'; _librairie_, 'bookseller's shop _or_ trade.'

So _bibliothecaire_, 'librarian'; _libraire_, 'bookseller.'

Page 54.

1. tenir, 'to keep in stock.'

5. diable d'homme, 'terrible man.' Note-

_un bon diable_, 'a good fellow.'

_c'est la le diable_, 'that's the trouble.'

_cela ne vaut pas le diable_, 'that is not worth anything.'

10. voix de t.i.tan, 't.i.tanic voice.' The t.i.tans in ancient mythology were gigantic beings, representing the primitive powers of Nature.

17. brule-gueule, 'cutty.'

21. le tranchant de sa voix, 'his peremptory voice.'

22. tap.i.s.see de, 'lined with.'

25. tant bien que mal, 'as well as I could.'

Page 55.

2. les Condillac: the plural would be preferable. See note, p. 23 l. 28.

4. tu ne veux pas? . . a ton aise, 'you don't care about smoking?... well! just as you like.' Note-

_etre a son aise_, 'to be in easy circ.u.mstances.'

_ne pas se sentir a son aise_, 'to feel uncomfortable.'

6. surtout ne le gate pas, 'but be very careful and don't spoil it.'

10. tu t'occupes donc de philosophie? 'so you are busy reading philosophy, are you?'

12. par hasard, 'I wonder.' A sarcastic colloquialism.

des histoires, mon cher, de pures histoires! 'fables, my dear boy, nothing but fables!'

14. je vous demande un peu! 'just think of it!'

16. pendant qu'ils y etaient, 'whilst they were at it.'

18. ah! misere de moi! 'ah me!'

31. a propos, 'by the bye.' Note-

_il est venu fort a propos_, 'he came very opportunely.'

_a propos de_, 'with regard to.'

_de propos delibere_, 'on purpose.'

Page 56.

1. le bon Dieu: do not translate _le bon_. Cf. the German _der_ liebe _Gott_.