SCÈNE PREMIÈRE
1: appartement: i.e. door leading to the rest of the flat.
2: Grenoble: a beautiful city in southeastern France, about sixty miles southeast of Lyons, and consequently not much out of the way on the return trip from Chamouny.
3: mettra le pot au feu: will boil a piece of beef. Boiled beef is a standard middle-class dish in France. It is very economical, since the boiled meat (bouilli) is eaten and the water it has been boiled in(bouillon) makes soup.
4: barbue: brill, a European flat-fish.—Bien fraîche: nice and fresh.Mr. Perrichon's culinary details are characteristic of his bourgeoisie: no «gentleman» in France meddles with such things.
5: par exemple: see List of Exclamations. The meaning here is: «I have everything in good shape… but, for an instance of a thing I have not got straight, there is this morning's call from a gentleman I donot know, and who did not leave his card.»