4: un notaire gradé: a lawyer with a commission in the National Guard. A notaire is, by profession, the very opposite of a military man. In the National Guard (for which see acte I, scène I, note 7, 14.) many acivilian would have a «rank,» or grade.
5: vous comprenez: that I may be killed and must leave all my papers in order.
ACTE III, SCÈNE XI
1: c'est qu'il a… beau père: Isn't father-in-law plucky, though! C'est que introduces a reason for something that must be supplied. Here:«(All this is) because he,» «the fact is that.»—de son côté = and on the other hand.
2: au fait: after all; lit., «coming down to facts.»
3: à point nommé: always = in the nick of time, never «at the appointed place.»
ACTE III, SCÈNE XII
1: il suffit… d'heure: supply: for a great misfortune.
2: porte du garde: i.e. at the park gate where the keeper's lodge stands, there being other entrances to the park.
3: Veuillez agréer: the first words of the most usual conclusion to a letter in French: Veuilles agréer mes salutations empressées. Tr., Yours, etc.