ACTE II, SCÈNE IX
1: la Beauce: one of the old districts of France, between the river Loire and Paris, a very flat and well-to-do, rather than intellectualregion.—Étampes: a small commercial center for grain and vegetable produce, south of Paris.
2: C'est donc… lettres: Armand can be facetious too.
3: souvent… attribue: Mrs. Perrichon first repeats mechanically, then realizes that there is point to Armand's speech.
4: jouer… la comédie du hasard: keep up this fiction of mere chance.
5: quel bonheur: How delightful! girlish «gush,» but indicative of her real feelings towards Armand.
6: comme tu es coiffée: How untidy your hair is!—Tiens-toi droite! Don't stoop! Mrs. Perrichon is suddenly alive to her daughter'spersonal appearance; Henriette, who knows nothing of Armand's offer, cannottell why.