6. emboîtaient le pas à merveille, ‘fell into step splendidly.’ 8. jacassaient le long de la route, ‘chattered the whole way along.’ 13. tunique: a sort of frock-coat formerly worn by _lycéens_. 14. marmaille folle, ‘unruly gang of ragamuffins.’ 17. diablotine ébouriffés, ‘dishevelled imps.’ 21. avorton, ‘shrimp of a fellow.’ 23. sentant le ruisseau, ‘redolent of the gutter.’ See note, p. 17 l. 20. pour que rien ne lui manquât, ‘to crown all.’ 30. paye: used here in the restricted sense of ‘neighbourhood.’ Page 47. 2. à nos trousses, ‘at our heels.’ qui faisaient la roue sur nos derrières, ‘rolling along on their hands and feet like a wheel behind us.’ 5. bonnes singeries, ‘silly monkey-tricks.’ 8. circonstancié, ‘detailed.’ 16. dans un état de toilette tel que . ., ‘looking such a little pickle that . .’ 24. je ne sais quoi always denotes the ‘indescribable’ in French. Trans. ‘something about it.’ 25. sentait les doigte matornels, ‘spoke loudly of his mother’s fingers.’ Cf. note, p. 17 l. 20. 29. comme si de rien n’était, ‘as if nothing were the matter.’ Page 48. 12. doublez le pas, ‘walk in double-quick time.’ 14. filer d’un train d’enfer, ‘to go off at a frightful pace.’ Page 49. 7. sur son compte, ‘about him.’ 9. se saignait les quatre membres, ‘was working himself to death.’ 13. on lui avait donné un modèle de bâtons, ‘they had set him some pot-hooks and hangers to copy.’ 16. grand Dieu! see note, p. 12 l. 22. 22. à pleines mains, ‘tightly in his hand.’ Cf.— _donner à pleines mains_, ‘to give generously.’ Page 50. 6. je serais venu à bout de lui apprendre . ., ‘I should have managed to teach him . .’ 11. rhétoricien, ‘sixth-form boy.’ 16. à l’œuvre, ‘at their tricks.’ 17. me serrait le cœur, ‘depressed me.’ Page 51. (chapter vi. full=vii) 2. à mon intention: see note, p. 43 l. 14. 8. métayers: a _métayer_ is a farmer who gives the owner of the land a certain part of the produce of his _métairie_ or ‘farm,’ keeping the rest for himself. 14. Pion: a term of contempt given by schoolboys to a _maître d’étude_ or ‘usher.’ 25. ah! mon Dieu! see note, p. 8 l. 14. Page 52. 9. donnait sur: cf.— _la salle à manger donne sur le jardin_, ‘the dining-room looks out on to the garden.’ 14. aux enfants trouvés, ‘at the Foundling Hospital.’ 20. l’abbé Germane: see note, p. 4 l. 23. 25. d’une voix brève et cassante, ‘in a curt, gruff voice.’ Page 53. 2. un Mirabeau en soutane, ‘a regular Mirabeau in a cassock.’ Mirabeau (1749-1791) was the greatest orator of the French Revolution, a man of fearless temperament and a bold, impetuous disposition. He would have enjoyed no small share of manly beauty had he not, when a little child, been sorely disfigured for life by the smallpox. 28. Condillac: a celebrated French philosopher, born at Grenoble, 1715. He died in 1780.