13 (i) : 'the only Swiss' whom Paul Petkoff is referring to in the extract is a mercenary who fought for the Serbs and was in the cannon battery regiment of the Serbian army - the one which Sergius "so unprofessionally charged" (i.e. the Serbian cannon defense against whom Sergius led a cavalry charge at Slivnitza; the battery which did not have the right ammunition to counter the cavalry charge and were thus defeated and who took to their heels on being defeated). After the peace treaty had been signed between the Bulgarians and Serbians at Pirot, Sergius and Paul Petkoff on the Bulgarian side and The Swiss mercenary on the Serbian side had been given certain responsibilities, one of which was to negotiate the terms of prisoner exchange. This is the context of their reference to the person and the place where Pal Petkoff and Sergius met the man. Later we come to know that the person is 'The Man' who had sought and been given refuge in Raina's bedroom. We learn that his name is captain Bluntschli.
(ii) : Petkoff says that he will never trust a Swiss again as Sergius and himself had naively thought that the the Swiss would enter into a gentlemanly and equitable arrangement between the two armies regarding the exchange of prisoners. However, when the found out that the deal - fifty Serbian Pisoners of was for two hundred "worn out" horses which "were not even eatable" they found out that they were "simply two innocent little children" who had been "over-reached" (forced to pay to much for what they received) in the agreement.
(iii) : When he speaks of 'two innocent little children', Sergius is referring to himself and Major Paul Petkoff who were so trusting and easily bluffed into making an unequal agreement.
(iv) : The 'two' were like children in the hands of that soldier as they took part in the negotiations for the prisoner exchange after the peace treaty was signed at Pirot. They naively believed that a fellow soldier, even though he belonged to the former enemy camp, would negotiate an equitable deal. However, The "Swiss' was astute and exploited the naivety of Sergius and Paul petkoff and got a good deal for his side.
(v) : Sergius describes the soldier as a 'commercial traveller in uniform' as the soldier had proved to be a good "tradesman" in securing the most advantageous deal for himself while exploiting the naivety of Sergius and Paul - the way a good tradesman would convince a customer that the price he was paying was fair when actually he was making a good profit on the deal. It was just in this case that the person making the deal was a soldier (wearing a uniform).
(vi) : 'Bourgeois' or bourgeoise was a word which gained a negative connotation from the French revolution referring negatively to the business class who were exploiting the poor and who were against the new order being sought by the revolution. In this context Sergius is describing the Swiss soldier who "humbugged" Paul Petkoff and himself into making a very disadvantageous deal - parting with fifty Serbian prisoners of war for two hundred useless horses. Sergius means that the Swiss soldier was completely - "to his boots" - a true tradesman and an expert in commercially exploiting people.
(ii) : Petkoff says that he will never trust a Swiss again as Sergius and himself had naively thought that the the Swiss would enter into a gentlemanly and equitable arrangement between the two armies regarding the exchange of prisoners. However, when the found out that the deal - fifty Serbian Pisoners of was for two hundred "worn out" horses which "were not even eatable" they found out that they were "simply two innocent little children" who had been "over-reached" (forced to pay to much for what they received) in the agreement.
(iii) : When he speaks of 'two innocent little children', Sergius is referring to himself and Major Paul Petkoff who were so trusting and easily bluffed into making an unequal agreement.
(iv) : The 'two' were like children in the hands of that soldier as they took part in the negotiations for the prisoner exchange after the peace treaty was signed at Pirot. They naively believed that a fellow soldier, even though he belonged to the former enemy camp, would negotiate an equitable deal. However, The "Swiss' was astute and exploited the naivety of Sergius and Paul petkoff and got a good deal for his side.
(v) : Sergius describes the soldier as a 'commercial traveller in uniform' as the soldier had proved to be a good "tradesman" in securing the most advantageous deal for himself while exploiting the naivety of Sergius and Paul - the way a good tradesman would convince a customer that the price he was paying was fair when actually he was making a good profit on the deal. It was just in this case that the person making the deal was a soldier (wearing a uniform).
(vi) : 'Bourgeois' or bourgeoise was a word which gained a negative connotation from the French revolution referring negatively to the business class who were exploiting the poor and who were against the new order being sought by the revolution. In this context Sergius is describing the Swiss soldier who "humbugged" Paul Petkoff and himself into making a very disadvantageous deal - parting with fifty Serbian prisoners of war for two hundred useless horses. Sergius means that the Swiss soldier was completely - "to his boots" - a true tradesman and an expert in commercially exploiting people.
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