4: nous avons: supply: as a precedent. The allusion is to the well-known story of the race won by the slow tortoise against the swift hare.
5: si haut: at such an elevation, with possibly a play on the word haut, which also means «loud.»
6: la belle écriture: the excellent penmanship (of special advantage in business) and the inane remark of Mr. Malaquais, show him up as an uncultivated tradesman.—Rentier: after his name is the technical term for a business man who has retired and lives on his income. Tr., no profession.
ACTE II, SCÈNE III
1: n'y sont pour rien: have nothing to do with it.
2: tu l'auras piquée: for this use of the future past, see acte I, scène VIII, note 5.
3: disparaissait: the imperfect for greater vividness, instead of theconditional past. Cf. in English, «Another step and he was (= would havebeen) a dead man.»
4: A mon tour: supply, to thank Armand. A = «(It has come round) to.»
5: Comment donc: see List of Exclamations.
6: vous ferez reconduire le cheval: the horse is to be led down to Chamouny: Perrichon will not ride it. The whole party will drive down.