Heath's Modern Language Series: La Mère de la Marquise

[1] école du gouvernement, state school; the French government supports several boarding-schools for the proper training of young men for the service of the state; prominent among these schools are l'École polytechnique, for engineering, l'École normale, for teaching, and l'École de Saint-Cyr, corresponding to West Point. Admission to these schools is by competitive examination, and upon graduation the student receives a bachelor's degree and is given the choice of a position under the government or of resigning.

[2] Écrire; in advertisements the infinitive is used in French where English requires the imperative mood.

[3] Que voulez-vous? how can I help it? or, what would you have?

[4] gouvernement de 1846; by the Revolution of July, in 1830, the Bourbon monarchy, which had been restored after the downfall of Napoleon, in 1814, was in its turn overthrown. A constitutional monarchy was then established with Louis Philippe of Orleans, cousin of Louis XVIII., and of Charles X., as king. This Orleanist monarchy, always detested by the legitimist or Bourbon party, which included almost all of the old, aristocratic families, came to an end in 1848.

[5] faubourg Saint-Germain; the faubourg Saint-Germain is that part of Paris lying on the left bank of the Seine directly opposite the Tuileries gardens, and extending from the rue de Seine to the Chambre des Députés. During the nineteenth century it was the chief residence section of the old French aristocracy, though at present many of the younger members are migrating to the more modern quarter about the Arc de Triomphe and the Parc Monceau. The term "faubourg Saint-Germain" is frequently used for aristocratic French society itself, and has even been extended to include this society wherever found. The word faubourg originally signified "village," or "suburb," then, as the outlying districts were absorbed by the growing city, it came to mean simply a section or quarter of the city itself.

[6] bienheureux ruisseau de la rue du Bac; the rue du Bac traverses the heart of the faubourg Saint-Germain at right angles to the Seine. The "blessed brook" referred to is the gutter which, until modern times, ran down the middle of the street.

[7] Bon saint Louis; in France it is very common for a shop to be named for some saint, or personage, or for something connected with the trade or location of the house, to which it is nominally dedicated; thus we find signs reading à Jeanne d'Arc, au Bon Marché, au Louvre, au Bébé incassable, à la Madeleine.

[8] qu'on, translate as if sans qu'on.

[9] peu s'en fallait que Madame Lopinot ne se signât, Madame L. almost crossed herself.

[10] après boire, the French infinitive after a preposition is often to be rendered in English by the present participle.

[11] Ce n'était pas le compte de Gabrielle-Auguste-Éliane, this was not at all what Gabrielle-Auguste-Éliane wanted.

[12] elle se fût fort accommodée de, she would have been very well satisfied indeed with.

[13] sans lanterne, a reference to the story that Diogenes (see vocabulary) once carried a lantern about the streets in the daytime seeking for an honest man.

[14] révolution de Juillet, see note #4.

[15] choléra de 1832; Asiatic cholera did not make its appearance in Europe until the outbreak of the general epidemic of 1830-32.

[16] elle entendait causer, she could hear people talking.

[17] La jolie veuve en fut pour ses avances, the pretty widow had her pains for nothing.

[18] auxquels elle n'avait garde de demander de l'argent, whom she had been careful not to ask for money.

[19] avant midi; persons of inferior social position should be received only in the forenoon, during the tradesmen's hours.

[20] la clef du faubourg Saint-Germain, see note #5.

[21] M. le marquis; when monsieur precedes a title of any sort it is not to be translated. In phrases of address, the name is to be supplied in translating, if omitted after the title; and often such phrases can be rendered in English only by the use of the third person.

[22] acte de naissance; in France and Germany a very careful register of births is kept, and a certificate of birth is required by law at the time of marriage.

[23] de mémoire d'homme, within the memory of man.

[24] qui en vint à souhaiter tout de bon, who came at last to really and truly wish.

[25] Je ne m'en connaissais pas, I was not aware of any.

[26] espalier; in continental Europe, and in some parts of England, the branches of domestic fruit-trees are usually trained along walls where the fruit will have the most favorable exposure.

[27] où prenez-vous Kerpry? where is K. anyway?

[28] que m'importe à moi, what's the difference to me; à moi simply repeats m' for emphasis.

[29] mis en vente comme biens d'émigré; at the time of the revolution, the property of those who fled from the country for political reasons was confiscated by the state and put up at auction sale.

[30] S. M., Sa Majesté.

[31] jugements de Dieu; in feudal times, a person accused of wrongdoing had the right to demand a single combat with his accuser or the latter's representative, and God was called on to give the victory to the right.

[32] ce n'était pas de thé qu'il s'agissait, there was no talk of tea.

[33] ne se fit pas attendre, was not slow in being brought.

[34] fakir (fakir, begging monk), Wichnou (Vishnu). About has here curiously enough taken the title of a Mohammedan priest to typify his Hindu worshipper, whose greatest happiness is to see Vishnu (the second member of the Buddhist triad and the most popular god of modern Hindu worship). In point of fact, the ideal of perfect bliss according to Hindu belief is not entrance into the heaven of Vishnu but absorption into Brahma.

[35] Mais où donc avais-je la tête? why what was I thinking of?

[36] l'on ne m'y reprendra plus, and no one will catch me at it again.

[37] The Orleanists, see note #4.

[38] voler... dans, to steal... from; after a verb of taking dans refers to the place from which the object is removed.

[39] du père Lopinot, of old man Lopinot.

[40] se fit grandelette, was half-grown.

[41] lui en savaient le meilleur gré du monde, liked her ever so much the better for it.

[42] Notice the different ways in which about is rendered in French; after savoir by de, after entendre by à.

[43] sculpteurs allemands de la Renaissance; the chief of these are Adam Kraft, 1480-1507, Peter Vischer, 1460-1530, with his five sons, and above all Albrecht Dürer, 1471-1528. Nuremberg was the principal field of their labors.

[44] chapeau à plumes; in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, only persons of noble rank were permitted to wear plumes in their hats.

[45] il y était toujours pour elle, he was always at home to her.

[46] pourquoi je vous ferais des mystères, why I should not be perfectly frank with you.

[47] je n'en parle que pour mémoire, I simply mention it, it is hardly worth counting.

[48] me suffira pour vivre, will be sufficient for me to live on.

[49] l'École polytechnique, see note #1.

[50] le solide, the essential thing.

[51] Il a donné sa démission; as was formerly the case at the U. S. Naval Academy, a graduate of the École polytechnique either enters the government service or else may resign and enter civil life.

[52] va-t-il vouloir de ma fille, will he be willing to take my daughter.

[53] je vous donnerai de ses nouvelles, I'll report to you about him.

[54] Y songez-vous, charmante? are you thinking of that, my dear?

[55] je ne sais quoi de mobile et d'inquiet, an indefinable shifting and restlessness of expression.

[56] en poussant plus avant, upon closer examination.

[57] que je ne vous ai vu, since I have seen you.

[58] où en sont vos affaires? how are your affairs progressing?

[59] Voyez comme je tombe mal, at what an ill-timed moment I come.

[60] chartreux; the Carthusian discipline is noted for its austerity. The order was founded by St. Bruno, in 1084, in the Grande Chartreuse, a wild mountain group near Grenoble. The members are forbidden to beg, and earn their living by hard work, their chief product being the famous liqueur.

[61] fait de construire, finished putting together.

[62] aura, must have; the future is used to express the idea of necessity.

[63] refit de l'encre de Chine; the best drawing-ink comes in brownish-black sticks which have to be rubbed in water to produce the ink; as the latter dries quickly it is necessary to renew it very often.

[64] Chat botté, "Puss in Boots," and la Belle au Bois dormant, "Sleeping Beauty in the Woods," two well-known fairy tales by Charles Perrault (1628-1703).

[65] De guerre las, tired of the struggle.

[66] livre d'or, "The Golden Book," il libro d'oro, was primarily the roll of its noble families kept by each of the Italian republics in the Middle Ages; the meaning has been extended to include any list of persons of high rank.

[67] mon oncle à la mode de Bretagne, a first cousin of my father (or mother).

[68] verrons à le faire chasser, will see about having him dismissed.

[69] la retraite is the military call for retreat, i.e., the retirement of soldiers into their barracks at night.

[70] Je la trouve à souhait, I like her immensely; she suits me perfectly.

[71] faire la demande en mariage, request her daughter's hand in marriage; in France the formal proposal of marriage is made to the young lady's parent or guardian by some relative or intimate friend of the man.

[72] il faudra que vous me prêtiez, you will have to let me take.

[73] Quand vous voudrez, you may have them whenever you wish.

[74] la moitié du faubourg, i.e., the fashionable society people who were in the habit of attending mass there.

[75] Aussitôt mon départ, as soon as I have left.

[76] flamme, here halo.

[77] corbeille de mariage; according to French custom the groom presents the bride a basket (usually a chest) of such personal effects as here described, with a handsome piece of jewelry crowning the whole.

[78] il n'appartient qu'à moi de lui donner quelque chose, it is my place alone to make her any gift.

[79] pour cinquante mille francs, 50,000 francs' worth.

[80] lorsqu'il ne lui est encore de rien, when he is as yet nothing to her.

[81] la publication, etc.; the Roman Catholic Church requires that the bans of an approaching marriage be read in the church on three different occasions, and French law similarly requires two public announcements at the city-hall where the civil marriage is to take place.

[82] poussait l'épée dans les reins à, should hurry up.

[83] parlait d'or, spoke golden words.

[84] bien faits, handsome.

[85] On se doit à son monde, one must respect one's position.

[86] qu'elle s'y frotte à, should have to meet there.

[87] avant midi, cf., page 6, note 4.

[88] Quel sot pays que ce Paris, what a stupid place this Paris must be.

[89] il n'en coûtait pas plus, it was just as easy.

[90], il ne m'en a pas fallu davantage, I needed no more.

[91] aura de quoi se consoler, will have something to console herself with.

[92] Je tiens de bonne part, I have it on good authority.

[93] pas plus de soixante louis, i.e., 1,200 fr.(20 per cent.).

[94] en presence, in each other's presence; face to face.

[95] Il s'en fallut assez peu, cf. page 4, note 1.

[96] et se miraient l'un dans l'autre, looked at each other squarely.

[97] ce qu'il y a de plus beau, the most beautiful thing.

[98] douce liberté; owing to the universal practice, in France, of the marriage of convenience, it often occurs that young people hardly know each other when they are betrothed, hence the young lady is as carefully chaperoned during the engagement as before, and the lovers are frequently on a very formal footing until the marriage has taken place.

[99] on s'épouserait la veille à la mairie; in most continental countries a civil marriage is required by law whether a religious service takes place or not. The Roman Catholic Church, however, recognizes the religious ceremony alone.

[100] un peu franc-maçonne, somewhat freemasonic, i.e., of widespread membership. The freemasons are very powerful in France and exert great political influence.—elle se retrouve partout, its members meet everywhere.

[101] un petit mot, a word in passing.

[102] du bon temps, of the good old times.—En France, 360 francs les 1000 kilos. La tonne anglaise, qui a 15 kilos de plus, vaut, franco, à bord, de 11 livres 10 schellings à 12 livres 5 schellings.

[103] toujours le même, always the same visionary inventor.

[104] marcher sur le pied, tread on his toes.

[105] Louis XVI, etc.; the lack of tastes commensurate with their exalted position is a well-known characteristic of the three monarchs here mentioned. The character of Henry the Third was particularly frivolous.

[106] ce fut à... de lui, there was a struggle to see who could get nearest him.

[107] avec ses droits, with his civil rights; the marquis cleverly avoids the exposition of his poverty by simply claiming his right to the separate administration of his own property.

[108] il vous en faudra beaucoup, you will need a good deal of it.

[109] n'avait pas la rage de le repeupler, was not madly anxious to repeople it.

[110] je suis travaillée de l'ambition, I have been tormented by the desire.

[111] au prix où sont, at the current value of.

[112] je ne suis pas en peine de m'acquitter, I shall have no difficulty in coming to an understanding.

[113] restaient sur la brèche, lit., "remained on the breach"; were the last waltzers.

[114] faudrait être sourd, for il faudrait être sourd pour ne pas l'entendre.

[115] les louis, etc., the louis d'or was first struck in 1640 under Louis XIII., for whom the coin was named. For a century and a half it ranged in value from $4.00 to $4.60, and at the time of the revolution was worth 23.60 francs. Under the republican and Napoleonic governments, the new twenty-franc gold piece came to be styled louis, and by many is still so called.

[116] Comment se fait-il, how does it happen.

[117] tout près de, almost.

[118] c'était bien d'argent qu'il s'agissait! it was, indeed, a question of money!

[119] il donna tête... préjugés, he sided blindly with every prejudice.

[120] La leçon de Pierre était faite, Peter had been well instructed.

[121] je lui ai forçé la main, I have forced his hand. The term refers to the custom at cards of playing so that your opponent will have to play a card he does not wish to.

[122] Que vous faut-il de plus, what more do you want.

[123] j'y songe, I have it.

[124] le plus noble cœur, the noblest soul.

[125] Ménélas, etc., as related in the Iliad, Paris, son of Priam, king of Troy, aided by Venus, carried off Helen, the wife of Menelaus, and the most beautiful woman in the world. Menelaus, having assembled his friends, followed to reclaim her and thus brought on the Trojan war.

[126] que comptez-vous donc devenir, what are your intentions with regard to the future.

[127] mais voyez si j'aurais bonne grâce à l'introduire, just see what a fine appearance I should make in introducing her.

[128] C'était... dit, what he said was true enough, but Mme Benoît would not admit it.

[129] sa rareté, his seclusion; his rare appearance.

[130] la rage de jeter l'argent par les fenêtres, a mad extravagance.

[131] qu'on m'avait... mensonge, they had deceived me so cruelly; allez, preceding, may be rendered: you may well believe that.

[132] vous nous aviez fait dire, you had sent us word.

[133] vous ne me... en frais de style, lit., "you will not let me ruin myself in expenses of style," you will not make too great demands of my ignorance.

[134] que voulez-vous que je devienne? what do you think will become of me?

[135] nous aurons du malheur, we shall be unfortunate.

[136] C'est un homme très bien, he is a very nice gentleman.

[137] qu'on ne savait... monsieur, that it was hard to know what to think about monsieur.

[138] Et des larmes, and he began to weep.

[139] tué la poule, killed the hen that laid the golden egg and destroyed the source of income, like the peasant in Lafontaine's fable (see Book V, Fable 13).

[140] qui se rappelait au souvenir de son amie, who reminded her friend of her existence.

[141] que nous ne ferons pas les marquises, that we are not going to be so exceedingly formal.

[142] Un peu fou: c'est un bon, a little queer, perhaps, but he is one of the good ones.

[143] Je n'y suis pas, I am not at home.

[144] s'enca..., se mésa..., for s'encanailler, se mésallier.

[145] on a beau les chasser, it is of no use to send them off.

[146] qu'on me pose les sangsues, that I am being bled (by means of leeches).

[147] je lui dirai son fait, I will settle matters with him.

[148] Oreste... Pylade; the reference is to Racine's tragedy of Andromaque (Act I, Scene 1), where the two friends meet after years of separation.

[149] avait la tête... de moins, was a head taller than her friend and but half as stout.

[150] tu as je ne sais quoi de plus assuré, you seem more settled, I hardly know how.

[151] À qui arrivera la première, let's see who will get there first.

[152] une grande bête de grotte humide, a perfectly hideous damp grotto.

[153] a fait rentrer la révolte sous terre, completely stifled the outbreak.

[154] On a sa discrétion et sa délicatesse, we have our feelings of privacy and delicacy.

[155] une indifférente, a person without interest.

[156] avait plus de monde, was more formal.

[157] son bien, his own.

[158] crut avoir partie gagnée, thought she had won the match.

[159] de quoi vous mêlez-vous, mind your own business.

[160] nous n'en sommes pas là, but we haven't reached that point in this instance.

[161] Ne vous faites point d'illusions, be not deceived.

[162] conseil général; each of the eighty-seven departments of France is governed by a general council of citizens, elected by the people.

[163] tout notre parti; the legitimist or Bourbon party, composed of the old aristocrats, was naturally hostile to the Orleanist government of the day which had replaced the Bourbon monarchy. In recent years the two parties have been united by the extinction of the Bourbon line and by the passing on of the legitimate title to the house of Orleans.

[164] je suis une femme morte, I might as well be dead.

[165] elle s'ennuie mortellement, she is bored to death.

[166] encore botté, still booted, i.e., not yet rested.

[167] je suis à vous, I am at your service.

[168] Pourquoi faites-vous l'étonnée? why do you appear so surprised?

[169] il faut faire la part de la fatigue, we must take into account the fatigue of the trip.

[170] ou peu s'en faut, or almost that amount.

[171] votre ordinaire, your everyday wine.

[172] qu'ils avaient trouvé le temps long après elle, that they had missed her very much indeed.

[173] la bonne grosse monnaie d'amitié, the good, homely, honest expressions of friendship.

[174] Diogène... Platon; in the presence of friends Diogenes is said to have trod on Plato's robe, saying: "I trample under foot the pride of Plato." "Yes," replied the latter, "with greater pride of your own."

[175] il avait des absences, he became absent-minded at times.

[176] Il en vint à la plaindre, he finally grew to pity her.

[177] et faite comme vous voilà, and handsome as you are.

[178] si le cœur vous en dit, if your heart bids you do it.

[179] on riait à tout rompre, they laughed loud and long.

[180] les années ont si peu de prise, years have so little effect