_42_ 23.
--_serviette:_ a kind of 'portfolio' widely used in France by public
officials, professors, and others, for carrying papers and books.
_71_ 15 _notaire:_ the position of the French notaire is more dignified
than that of our 'notary', he performs some of the functions of the
American lawyer.
_71_ 20 _regardait toujours Tartarin:_ cf. note to _11_ 12.
_71_ 21 _prit la mouche:_ transl. 'took offense.' _Prendre la mouche_ =
'to seize the fly,' 'to seize a slight occasion for becoming angry,' 'to
become vexed easily.'
_71_ 26 _leur gaine:_ cf. note to _29_ 11.
_72_ 17 _Et toute la diligence de rire:_ 'and the whole stage coach
laughed', cf. the Latin historical infinitive, used in place of the
perfect. In French this infinitive is always preceded by _de_ and the
clause is almost always introduced by _et, la dessus_, or a similar word.
--_trois cheveux de Cadet-Roussel:_ the popular song called
_Cadet-Roussel_, 'Young Roussel,' was composed on the basis of a local
song by a soldier in the Northern Army of the revolutionary forces about
1792. Cadet Roussel has three houses, three coats, three hats, three hairs
(two for his face, one for his wig, and when he goes to see his lady he
gathers the three into a braid), three dogs, and so on.
_72_ 21 _Terrible profession que la votre:_ understand (_c'est une_)
_terrible profession que la votre_ (_est_); cf. note to _21_ 19.
_72_ 23 _Bombonnel_ (d. 1890): undertook to free North Africa of panthers.
_72_ 27 _Te! ... connais:_ 'what! know him? I should say so!' For _te_ cf.
note to _13_ 7. _Pardi_ is a euphemism (really a dialectal form) for
_pardieu_; cf. _parbleu_, _47_ 6.
_73_ 3 _Tout juste!_ 'exactly!' cf. note to _83_ 5.
_73_ 15 _ce qu'il en est:_ 'how matters stand.' On _en_ cf. note to _8_
19.
_73_ 20 _Chassaing_ (Jacques, 1821-1871): hunter of lions and panthers.
_73_ 24 _qu'est-ce que c'est donc que ... ?_ 'what, pray, is ... ?'
disdainful; cf. _55_ 28.
_73_ 27 _Milianah:_ a city in the Zakkar mountains, about seventy-five
miles southwest of Algiers. A comparison of the story of Tartarin's
adventures at Milianah with the pages on that city in "Lettres de mon
moulin" will show how many details have been borrowed from the notes
Daudet took down during his stay in Algeria.
_73_ 30 _a regarder ... s'il:_ 'looking (to see) if', cf. note to _10_ 22.
_74_ 4 _loyal:_ 'honest.'
_74_ 11 _A quoi bon ... ?_ 'what (was) the good of ... ?' Latin _c
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