[89] AUTANT VAUT, ‘That’s the same thing.’  ‘That’s just as good.’

[90] LA BELLE.  The use of the article is here indicative of familiarity.  Used in this way towards inferiors.

[91] JE VAIS FAIRE DESCENDRE.  On the part of a supposed servant, a somewhat free and easy expression.

[92] UN BEAU-PERE DE LA VEILLE OU DU LENDEMAIN, ’A man who is as good as my father-in-law.’

[93] AVANT QUE DE. Avant de is more modern.

[94] L’HOTEL.  In the meaning attached to the word in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, that is, ‘mansion,’ ‘residence.’  Originally applied specifically to the king’s residence, it soon was used of the mansions of the nobility in Paris or other towns.  Later, the habit arose among the nobility of renting rooms and apartments within their mansions when the family was not in residence, and gradually the word assumed its present more extended meaning.  But hotel is still used to denote strictly a residence.

[95] PLAISANT.  One must understand here a double meaning, Silvia uses it evidently in the sense of ‘amusing,’ ‘ridiculous’ (see note 37), while Harlequin fails to catch the point, and, as his reply shows, takes it in its earlier sense of ‘agreeable.’  It is scarcely used to-day in this latter sense.

[96] M’EN ETRE FIE A TOI.  The en here is difficult to construe.  It refers to the whole of the preceding clauses.  In modern construction it would be omitted.

[97] DANS LES SUITES.  ‘After this,’ ‘henceforth.’  For dans la suite.

[98] DONNERAI DU MELANCOLIQUE.  The more ordinary form is donnerai dans le melancolique.

[99] PLAISANTE, ‘Agreeable.’  See note 95.

[100] QUE DE CET INSTANT.  The modern form would be qu’a l’instant.

[101] SI MAL BATI, ‘In such a bad state.’  Colloquial.

[102] RAGOUTANT, ‘Tempting,’ ‘pleasing.’  Its earlier and more common meaning is, ‘tempting to the palate.’  As used here it is familiar, and corresponds with the rest of Harlequin’s expressions, though it is by no means an expression confined by Marivaux to servants.  Compare:  “Ne voila-t-il pas un amant bien ragoutant!” (Marianne, 3e partie).  “Cependant comme cette personne etait fraiche et ragoutante...” (Le Paysan parvenu, 1re partie).  “Et a quel age est-on meilleure et plus ragoutante, s’il vous plait?” (id., 5e partie).

[103] TRINQUER, ‘To drink a toast.’  From the German trinken, Italian trincare.  This verb shows a much more jovial spirit than would the verb boire, and, in this case, is more familiar and inelegant.

[104] SI VOUS NE METTEZ ORDRE.  After the conjunctions a moins que (unless), and si, in the same sense, the second part of the negation (pas) is omitted.  The idiom mettre ordre a means ‘to look after.’

[105] VOTRE PRETENDU GENDRE, ‘Intended son-in-law.’  The word pretendu is commonly used alone, and then means ‘intended.’  The usage is derived from the meaning of the verb pretendre a, ‘to aspire to,’ ‘to desire.’  Here, therefore, ‘the man who aspires to become your son-in-law.’