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tiens-toi tranquille, enfant; comprends-tu? – Be quiet, child. Do you understand?
45
Oh ciel! Que c’est beau! – Oh heavens! But it is beautiful!
46
nonnette – a young nun
47
India-rubber ball – meaning natural rubber
48
ditto – the same (Italian)
49
et j’y tiens – it matters to me
50
Medes and Persians – two tribes mentioned in the Bible
51
Il faut que je l’essaie! et à l’instant même! – I must try it on! Right now!
52
Est-ce que ma robe va bien? et mes souliers? et mes bas? Tenez, je crois que je vais danser! – My frock, does it suit me? And my shoes? And my stockings? Look, I believe I’m going to dance!
53
Monsieur, je vous remercie mille fois de votre bonté; C’est comme cela que maman faisait, n’est-ce pas, monsieur? – Monsieur, I thank you thousand times for you generosity. That’s like my mom used to do, isn’t it, Monsieur?
54
comme cela – like that
55
taille d’athlète – athletic built
56
croquant – crunching
57
porte cochère – gateway
58
Job’s leviathan broke the spear, the dart, and the habergeon – allusion to the Bible (the Book of Job, 41:26). Here is meant the readiness to overcome any hardships and obstacles.
59
roué – a scapegrace
60
beauté mâle – man’s beauty, handsomness
61
filette – a daughter or a girl
62
Beulah – from the Bible: a symbolic name of the heavenly Zion, the promised land.
63
Qu’ avez-vous, mademoiselle? Vos doigts tremblent comme la feuille, et vos joues sont rouges: mais, rouges comme des cerises. – What’s happened, Miss? Your fingers are trembling like a leaf, and your cheeks are red, as red as cherries.
64
ignis-fatus – “fool’s fire” (Latin), dim wandering light appearing over the swamps at night. It is believed to drive travellers from the safe paths.
65
passées – old-fashioned
66
Some natural tears she shed – allusion to “Paradise Lost” by John Milton (1608–1674); the original quote is “Some natural tears they dropped.”
67
Elles changent de toilettes – They change.
68
Chez maman, quand il y avait du monde, je le suivais partout, au salon et à leurs chambres; souvent je regardais les femmes de chambre coiffer et habiller les dames, et c’était si amusant: comme cela on apprend. – When my mom had guests, I followed them everywhere, in the drawing room and in the bedrooms. I often watched the maids combing and dressing the ladies, and that was real fun; that’s how they learn.
69
Mais oui, mademoiselle: voilà cinq ou six heures que nous n’avons pas mangé. – Oh yes, Miss; it is really five or six hours since we had some food.
70
abigails – allusion to the Bible, here: ladies’ maids
71
et alors quel dommage – well, it’s a pity
72
Est-ce que je ne puis pas prendre une seule de ces fleurs magnifiques, mademoiselle? Seulement pour completer ma toilette. – Oh Miss, can’t I take one of these beautiful flowers? Just to complete my toilette.
73
minois chiffoné – here: pretty
74
père noble de théâtre – noble (aristocratic) head of the family, father (theater emploi)
75
Tant pis! – even worse! (meaning “it serves her right”)
76
Au reste – as for the rest of it
77
Who
