known for his great wealth
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Eden – in the Old Testament, the biblical paradise on the Earth where the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, lived
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incog. = incognito – with concealed identity, under an assumed name
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bunco steerer – here: swindler
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Fortunatus – Venantius Fortunatus (540–600), a French bishop and poet, the author of Latin poems and hymns
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horologue = chronograph, a device for measuring time
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Rubberneck Auto – a tour bus for sightseers;
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Russell Sage (1816–1906) – an American financier who took part in organizing the US railroad and telegraph
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the Rialto – Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice, built in the 16th century, with a broad deck carrying two arcades of shops
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the Harlem River – a river in Harlem, the district in central New York City, with no fixed boundaries
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H. P. = horse power
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Epictetian philosophy – in Greek and Roman history, the philosophy of stoicism characterized by tranquility of mind and the mode of life based on certain moral principles
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cardiaphone – the device for listening to the work of a human heart and other most subtle sounds
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Bluebeard – a fictional character in European, Eastern and African folklore and Charles Perrault’s tale; he killed everybody who risked to enter the locked and forbidden room.
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mfg. = manufacturing
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wot = know (
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anthropology – the science which studies humanity in different aspects: biological, historical, cultural, evolutional, etc.
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harlequin – one of the main characters in the Italian comedy of arts, a witty manservant
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sacque = sack – here: a wide coat
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Patrolman – a patrol policeman
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a plain clothes man – an agent or detective (not wearing uniform)
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hall bedroom – a one-room flat
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the Flatrion Building – a famous skyscraper in Broadway, built in 1902
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the great cathedral in Milan – Cathedral of Milan, a fine example of Gothic architecture, one of the largest churches in Europe, built in the 14th–15th centuries
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regalia – emblems or decorations used at some occasions
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début – the first appearance in society
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bon vivants – people leading a merry life and enjoying it
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habitués – usual customers or visitors
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tulle – a party dress made of tulle, an extremely fine and soft fabric
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vespertine –
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cheviot – woolen fabric, slightly rough and heavy
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beau monde – the best society, the elite
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cotillions – cotillion is the 18th–19th century French court dance
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wigwams –
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the tribe of the Manhattans – a North American Indian tribe that used to inhabit the island until 1626 when Manhattan was sold to the Dutch
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the highway of Mammon and the auxiliary gods – here: the place where the rich live; Mammon is an ancient god of wealth.
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to do de Johny act – here: to chase after a woman, to misbehave
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diaphanous = semitransparent, translucent
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troubadour – a lyric poet in Italy, France and Spain in the 11th–13th centuries
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conservatory – a hot-house with glass roof and walls to protect plants from cold
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impresario – a manager or sponsor of an actor, singer, etc. or an entertainment
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calico – cotton fabric with plain designs, originated in Calicut, India, in the 11th century
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ragtime – a musical style predominant in American popular music in the late 19th – early 20th century
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lares et penates = native home (
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polychromatic = multi-coloured
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Huguenot – the French Protestant in the 16th–17th centuries
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Psyche = Soul (
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Amazonian – from
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cryptograph – a specialist in cryptography, the practice of using cipher with a secret code in messages
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the worm dieth seldom – a part of the phrase from the Bible that describes the blazing inferno
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rayjict = reject
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the blowing of Gabriel’s dinner horn – Archangel Gabriel, the messenger of the God, according to the Old Testament texts blew a trumpet (horn)
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‘Parsifal’ – opera by Richard Wagner, written in 1882 and based on the early 13th century epic poem of the same name, written by Wolfram von Eschenbach
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Grecian = Greek
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Eve-sister – any woman; in the Old Testament, Eve was the first woman on the Earth.
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Sabine – a member of the Sabini, an ancient Italian tribe
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Venus – in Roman mythology, the goddess of love, beauty, spring and gardens
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Circe – 1) in Greek mythology, a sorceress, the daughter of the sun god and an ocean nymph; 2) an insidious seducer.
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pompadour – high hair-do with a roll over the forehead, named after Marquise de Pompadour (1721–1764), the mistress of Louis XV of France
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Persian lamb – expensive fur
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Gabriel – in the Old Testament, and in the three religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam, one of the archangels, God’s messenger often depicted with a trumpet
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Tiffany(’s) – a famous luxury jewelry selling company founded in New York by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young
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noblesse oblige = position entails responsibility(
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dactylis – here: a ring with an engraving
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