77 It’s him!
78 Mlle. Alphonsine, do you want to kiss me?
79; Ah, the little rogue! . . . Don’t come near me, don’t dirty me, and you, you big booby, I’ll chuck you both out the door, do you know that!
80 Mlle. Alphonsine, have you sold your bologne [deformation of bolognais]?
81 What’s my bologne?
82 Say, what is this gibberish?
83; I talk like a Russian lady on the mineral waters [sic].
What’s a Russian lady on the mineral waters and . . . so where’s your pretty watch that Lambert gave you?
84 We have a silver rouble that we lent [sic] from our new friend.
85 We pay you back with much thanks.
86 Hey, Lambert! where’s Lambert, have you seen Lambert?
87 Sir (polite form of direct address in Polish).
88 Twenty-five roubles.
89 Farewell, my prince.
90 Very beautiful.
91 Put that in, and it changes the question.
92 Property is theft.
93 The truth’s in wine.
94 I’m a gentleman before all and I’ll die a gentleman!
95 Decree of fate.
96 Ah, good evening.
97 Well! . . . and what about friends?
98 What a bear!
99 Yes, yes . . . it’s a shame! A lady . . . Oh, you’re generous, you are! Don’t worry, I’ll make Lambert see reason . . .
100 Oh, I said he had a heart!
101 Isn’t it so, isn’t it so?
102 He always appeals to one’s feelings . . .
103; Afterwards, afterwards, don’t you think? My dear friend!
104 Yes, yes, he’s charming . . .
105 But it’s terrible what you say.
106 Isn’t it so? I don’t talk much, but I speak well.
107 That’s right.
108 He seems to be stupid, this gentleman.
109 Nothing, nothing at all . . . But I’m free here, am I not?
110 Dear Prince, we should be friends even by right of birth.
111 That’s my opinion!
112 She’s an angel, she’s an angel of heaven!
113 I say charming things and everybody laughs . . .
114 Dear child, I love you.
115 Yes, yes, I understand, I understood at the beginning . . .
116 That black man.
117 Madame the general’s wife.
118 Wait, I’ve forgotten his name . . . A dreadful man . . . Wait, Versiloff.
119; Oh, they will take their revenge!
120 Save her, save her!
121 You’re a pretty one, you are!
122 Scratch a Russian and you’ll find a Tartar.
ABOUT THE TRANSLATORS
RICHARD PEVEAR has published translations of Alain, Yves Bonnefoy, Alberto Savinio, Pavel Florensky, and Henri Volohonsky, as well as two books of poetry. He has received fellowships or grants for translation from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ingram Merrill Foundation, the Guggenheim
