[115] JUSQUE LÀ, 'To such a degree.'
[116] A LA BONNE HEURE, 'As you please.'
[117] AVANT QUE DE. See note 93.
[118] DE VOTRE FAÇON, 'Brought forth by you.' The whole figure is both trivial and bombastic, in perfect accord with the rôle of Harlequin.
[119] ROQUILLE. An ancient wine measure amounting to a quarter of a setier. A setier, in the current use of the word, was equal to half a pinte. A pinte was a little less than a litre (Hatzfeld and Darmesteter). Hence a roquille would be less than an eighth of a litre. A synonym for any small measure.
[120] COMME UN PERDU, 'Desperately.'
[121] VALETAILLE, 'Whole set of valets,' Composed of valet and the pejorative ending aille (Littré).
[122] SERA. The text of 1732 has fera, but this is likely a misprint, as the f's and long s's were easily confounded.
[123] IMPERTINENT. Here the actor taking the part of Dorante, profiting by the inattention of Lisette, administers to Harlequin a vigorous kick, which the latter is obliged to receive with equanimity, much to the amusement of the spectators. This byplay is also a reminiscence of the habits of the early comédiens italiens, who indulged to excess in lazzi, which originally meant, not witticisms, but tricks more or less buffoon in their nature, such as circus clowns still indulge in. We know that Marivaux objected to any liberty being taken with the rôles by the actors. It may well be questioned whether the above-mentioned gesture would have met his approval. In a letter written to Sarcey (published in Quarante ans de théâtre, tome II, pp. 271- 275), Larroumet writes as follows upon this subject: "Pour ma part, une longue étude de Marivaux m'a prouvé que lazzis et jeux de scène n'étaient nullement le fait des premiers interprètes qui jouèrent sous la direction de l'auteur, mais bien des troupes de petits théâtres qui, après la disparition de la comédie italienne, en 1782, recueillirent plusieurs pièces de Marivaux et les jouèrent un peu partout, jusqu'à ce que Mlle. Contat les fît entrer, vers 1794 et 1796, au Théâtre de la République."
[124] DÉBARRASSE-MOI DE TOUT CECI. A contemptuous expression by which Dorante designates Lisette. It is entirely in keeping with the manners of the day.