a tener que comer, the right to have something to eat, i.e. right to live, have a pension.
158
que le asistía, that was present to her or that she had: cf. para sospechar que le asistían razones para no decirlo, to suspect that he had reasons for not telling. Escándalo, p. 44.
159
pasta de ángeles, the nature of angels: cf. Soy de la madera de Diógenes, I am of the wood (material) of Diogenes. Escándalo, p. 33.
160
poco asustadizas, not scary: cf. bold, bad man.
161
crisma, the [anointed or sprinkled] head: familiar even from such a dignified man; el bautismo is used in the same sense. Otelo II, 2.
162
quítame allá esas pajas, take away those straws: a common phrase for bagatelle, a mere nothing. Don Quixote says, Parte I, cap. XXIX: en dácame esas pajas, in a 'give me those straws' = in no time, in the twinkling of an eye.
163
como no sea, as it be not = if not, unless.
164
deseare: must be for deseara or desease. All editions have deseare. It is the only instance in Alarcón along with a form in -ría.
165
Ya se ve, It is seen = That is plain, the reason is plain.
166
Apuntole el bozo, His beard started, i.e. At puberty [he was in wars in America].
167
ha hecho ha sido: note even in verbs the tendency to repeat forms after a relative.
168
están a la orden de usted, are at your service, at your disposal: an extreme, but very common, formula of politeness; similarly, a Spaniard, in telling a friend where he lives, will not say: Ahí está mi casa, but Ahí tiene usted su casa, There is your house.
169
de saberlo = si lo supiese, if he knew it: the condition can be supplied in several ways: si lo supiera, a saberlo, sabiéndolo, si lo sabía, or even si sabe. The conclusion (here dimitiría) has fewer forms: dimitiera, dimitía, dimite, and rarely dimitiese. This form in -se is not considered good style.
170
milloncejos: note the diminutive. English would cover the idea by some adjective: my snug nine million, my cool nine million, my little old nine million.
171
el general: al in the 10th edition is an error.
172
dilatadas, deferred: cf. … con aplausos y vivas, de donde resultó que aquella votación fuese muy dilatada, with applause and shouts, whence it came that the voting was much delayed. Villaseñor, Guillermo, p. 337.
173
tenga: verbs of all kinds, even decir,at times omit que; but the que is oftenest omitted with such verbs as suplicar, beg, pray, implore.
174
hasta cierto punto, to a certain extent: here more normal than at 5, 9.
175
mismísimo: three different sounds of i in this word, according to Professor Olmsted.
176
demos por terminada, let us consider it ended: so delo por dicho, you needn't tell me, never mind, or I don't care to hear it.
177
¡Permítame usted besarle la mano! – ¡Y permite… que yo te abrace…! verbs like permitir, dejar, impedir, admit either the infinitive or a que-clause, without difference in meaning.
178
salgan: salir, seguir [continuar, quedar, venir, andar] follow ir and take -ndo forms after them, like estar.
179
consentido en: consentir takes en, con, a, and sometimes sobre, with different senses.
180
que tengas: omitted in 10th edition.
181
Mejor que mejor, Better and better: so peor que peor, dale que dale, etc., where the much used que is only an emphatic y, and; cf. éranse que se eran, 5, 1.
182
permitiese: -se and -ra forms are still used in wishes [like exclamations]; cf. Así nos diera Dios grandes políticos, Oh, that God would give us great politicians!Diario II, 272. ¡Diérame Dios el numen de Tasso!Oh, that God would give me Tasso's inspiration!Diario I, 320. ¡O Absalom! ¡Quién diera que hubiera yo muerto enlugar de ti!Oh, that I had died for thee! Bible. In Job 3: 1-9 are many examples in Valera's text: these are changed to present subjunctive in the Mexican edition of 1910. -se forms not so often: ¡Fuese ya mañana y estuviésemos en la batalla!Amadís, in Bello-Cuervo, § 701. ¡Quien me diese que me creyeseis!Oh that you would believe me!Ibid. Cf. also the familiar ¡Acabaras! to a child, Hush up!
183
Angustias: he omits señorita this time.
184
la primera vez de su vida, the first time in his life; so in Alarcón often: first tears, first smile, last time in his life, and others.
185
carne de perro: a compliment about like strong as a horse. The doctor falls into the captain's style.
186
matasanos, killer of well men: humorous here, but a common type: cf. curaperros, quitasol, parasol, sacamuelas (dentist), perdona-vidas (bully), picaporte. All like our pick-pocket, turnkey, cureall, forget-me-not.
187
Cuando salga, When I get out: there is hardly a word that occurs oftener with the present subjunctive than cuando.
