15 9 moiré 'shimmering,' like watered silks cf.Engl 'mohair,' 'moire'.
15 chapter heading Shang-Hai 'Shanghai,' a seaport in China--haut commerce 14 5, cf. haute finance 'high finance' transl. Simply. 'commerce'--Tartares (Tatares) 'Tartars' ('Tatars'), a generic term for certain Mongolian tribes The Manchu Tatars were till recently rulers of China--serait-il ? 'is it possible that he be ?' Note the use of the conditional to express conjecture or possibility, the future is used in similar constructions il aura manque le train 'he has probably missed the train 'cf. auriez vous l'intention (76 8) 'is it possible that you intend?'
15 13 avait failli partir 'had failed to départ', i.e. 'almost departed'
15 21 vous apparaissait d'une hauteur! 'was a wonderful thing indeed!' Vous is the common ethical dative, to be omitted in translation, cf.the Shakespearean "Knock me that door!" and "There's perfection for you!' "--D'une hauteur! suppression for emphasis far more frequent in French than in English, cf. 30 17, 49 25 Note the play on the words haut, Hauteur 14 5 n'entendait ... oreille-là. i.e. "didn't see it in that light".
16 7 Parions que si, parions que non 'I'll bet (lit 'let us bet') he will, I'll bet he won't' Si is used for oui in contradictions Que is not to be translated, cf. je crois que oui (non) 'I think so (not)'.
16 10 Avoir failli aller cf. 15 13.
16 11 c'était tout comme colloquial, 'it was just the same'.
16 12 en revenait = revenait de là bas, 'was returning from there'.