[68] J’EN VEUX AU COEUR DE LISETTE, ‘I have designs upon Lisette’s heart.’  The more common modern meaning of the idiom en vouloir a is, ’to have a grudge against’; but the expression used in the text is also frequent with the meaning here given.  Corneille has, “Alidor en voulait a Celie” (la Veuve, I. 181).  “Poppee etait une infidele qui n’en voulait qu’au trone” (Othon, I. 194).  “Je n’en veux pas, Cleone, au sceptre d’Armenie” (Nicomede, I. 347).  And La Fontaine:  “Comme il en voulait a l’argent” (les deux Mulets, I. 8).  The Academy gives the locution in its Dictionary, with the remark:  “signifie aussi familierement, Avoir quelque pretention sur cette personne, sur cette chose, en avoir quelque desir. Il en veut a cette fille.  Il en veut a cette charge.”

[69] AILLE SUR MES BRISEES, ‘Be my rival.’ Les brisees.  Branches broken off by a hunter to recognize the hiding-place of the game, hence ‘traces.’ Suivre les brisees de quelqu’un, ‘To follow someone’s example.’ Aller sur les brisees de quelqu’un, ‘To contest with (or rival) someone’ (Littre, “brisees,” 1 deg. and 2 deg.).

[70] VOUS PERDREZ VOTRE PROCES, ‘You will get the worst of it.’

[71] ILS SE DONNENT LA COMEDIE, ‘They are making fun at my expense.’

[72] QUI L’AURA, ‘Who wins his love.’

[73] M’EN CONTER.  See note 38.

[74] NOUS SOMMES DANS LE STYLE AMICAL.  An expression derived from the precieuses.

[75] OTER MON CHAPEAU.  It was still customary to wear the hat in the house, even in the presence of ladies, though the habit was dying out.

[76] JOUE.  The edition of 1732, as well as that edited by Duviquet, gives joue.  Some later editions give jure, in the sense of ‘blaspheme.’

[77] PLAISANT.  See note 37.

[78] ME FASSE MON PROCES, ‘Destroys my hopes.’  Compare note 70.

[79] D’ABORD QUE.  Used for the more modern des que (Littre, 10 deg.).

[80] MALGRE QUE J’EN AIE, ‘In spite of myself.’ Malgre que in this sense is used only with the verb avoir (Littre, 5 deg.).

[81] A TORT AVEC TOI.  The modern form is envers toi.

[82] A PLUS DE TORT.  The de has since been dropped in locutions of this sort.

[83] JE CROIS QU’IL M’AMUSE, ‘I think that he strikes my fancy.’

[84] JE ME RAPPELLE DE.  In modern French the de is omitted.

[85] CONFIDEMMENT. Confidentiellement the more common form.

[86] NE PRENDRE PAS GARDE.  The modern construction of the negative with an infinitive requires both parts of the negative to precede the verb.

[87] EN FAVEUR DE = Dans l’interet de.

[88] MON PORTE-MANTEAU.  Refers not to the valise, but to the crocheteur who carried it.  The office of porte-manteau was an honourable one at the French court.  Twelve officers of the household bore the title and discharged the duties of the office, which consisted in taking care of the king’s hat, gloves, stick, and sword, and in handing them to his majesty when called for.  One of these officers always accompanied the king when hunting, with a valise containing raiment.  See A. Cheruel, Dictionnaire historique des institutions, moeurs et coutumes de la France.