by Emile Zola
an That is, cheap Parisian souvenirs. The Vendôme column is a pillar surmounted by a statue of Napoleon I that was erected in 1810, pulled down by the Commune in 1871, and rebuilt after the Commune’s suppression. The obelisk was seized by Napoleon from the ancient Egyptian city of Luxor and mounted in the Place de la Concorde in 1836.
ao The Whore of Babylon (Revelation 17:3—18).
ap The Opera de Paris, designed by Charles Garnier, construction on which was begun in 1862 but not completed until 1875.
aq January 6, the twelfth and final night of Christmas. In many countries on that date a cake is served in which a single bean has been baked; whoever gets the slice with the bean is assured of good luck in the coming year.
ar A ribbed or corded fabric.
as Suffering from tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands.
at Unmarried and presumably loose women, whether actresses, dancers, artists’ models, courtesans, or prostitutes.
au Street of pawn shops in what was then the Jewish quarter of Paris.
av King of France from 1180 to 1223.
aw In heraldry, circular figures representing coins.
ax The Jardin Mabille, an open-air dance hall off the Champs-Elysées, opened in 1844 and was immensely popular; the name became a byword for licentiousness. It is associated with the birth of the cancan, the high-kick dance whose participants wore nothing under their skirts.
ay Gift given on an auspicious occasion, or the first payment made to a new business.
az Worn-out or worthless horse.
ba Carriage of various types. Landau: carriage with a two-part top; victoria: low carriage for two passengers, with a high seat for the coachman; calash: light, low-wheeled carriage with a folding top; basket chaise. lightweight, two-wheeled carriage.
bb Simone arrived in a light, two-wheeled carriage with springs (a trap) that Steiner was driving with the horses one behind the other (in tandem fashion). The “tiger” sitting bolt upright behind was a liveried groom or footman.
bc François Boucher (1703-1770), French painter of pastoral and mythological scenes.
bd Box for candy.
be Archaic form of “crunch.”
