24 (i) : 'That Swiss' whom Catherine is referring to in the extract is the Swiss referred to by Sergius and Paul when they were comparing service in the army to a trade. Sergius asked Paul to remember that "bagman of a captain that settled the exchange of prisoners with us at Pirot". Paul remembers him as that "Swiss fellow" who "over-reached us about the horses". They go further to tell Catherine and Raina that that Swiss was a mercenary in the Serbian army; the only Swiss they had come across in the war; a man who had been given refuge from the Bulgarian soldiers by two Bulgarian women in whose home he had taken refuge. Both the women had been "taken in" by his "commercial traveller's manners" and had disguised him and sent him away in the coat of the master of the house.
(ii) : Catherine is talking about the story of the Swiss person told by Sergius to the Catherine and Raina who had proved that he was a "commercial traveller in uniform" by "overreaching Paul and himself in the deal following the peace treaty at Pirot. That Swiss had told them of how he was in the very regiment that Sergius had routed that he had run away like the others in that Serb regiment. To escape the pursuing Bulgarian soldiers he had climbed a water pipe of a house and got into the bedroom of a young Bulgarian lady. The lady was "enchanted" with him and had been "entertained" by him for an hour or so. She had then informed her mother who was "equally fascinated" by the Swiss. He was disguised in the coat of the "master of the house" who was at the war.
Catherine had heard the story from Sergius.
(iii) : Raina's father had asked for his "old coat" in which he used to feel very much "at home" - the same coat which the two ladies in Sergius' story had had their Swiss fugitive disguised in.
The "Swiss" fugitive - the mercenary to the Serbian army, who had sought and been given refuge from Raina - 'The Man', 'the chocolate cream soldier', 'the poor darling' had been sent away in that coat.
(iv) : 'the little beast' that Raina is talking about is the very same "Swiss' who had been given refuge by Raina, whom Raina had given her last chocolate creams to and whom she had saved.
Raina calls him 'the little beast' as she is annoyed with him at having broadcast the story of his escape from Bulgarian soldiers after his defeat at Slivnitza. The phrase expresses some annoyance but also some affection.
(v) : Raina says that she will fill the beast's mouth with chocolate creams - referring to the chocolate creams he had ravenously stuffed his mouth with because he was so famished when he had sought refuge in Raina's room. Those were the last of Raina's chocolate creams at that time. At this moment of time she wishes she had more of those chocolate creams so that he would fill his moth with them rather than betraying her care for him and revealing their secret of his refuge to everyone.
It reveals that though Raina may be a bit upset with the man because the story of his seeking refuge in her room had been shared with precisely the persons she least wanted to hear it, she has affection for him - almost the affection one would have for a naughty child.
(vi) : 'The man' - the Swiss mercenary fighting with the Serbian army - in the very same regiment that Sergius had defeated, had sought refuge in Raina's room from the pursuing Bulgarian soldiers who wanted his life. According to Sergius account of the event he had stayed for an hour or so. Raina had told her mother about it after 'The man' had told her that it would be better to inform her mother of his presence as it would be very awkward if he were found in her room. Sergius' account agrees with what we saw and heard in Act 1.
Yes, she did tell her mother about it. However, in the passage following this quotation we realise that Raina probably told her mother that the man had climbed into her room after the Russian officer had searched her room. Actually, the man had hidden in her room behind the curtain and rain had protected him from discovery.
(ii) : Catherine is talking about the story of the Swiss person told by Sergius to the Catherine and Raina who had proved that he was a "commercial traveller in uniform" by "overreaching Paul and himself in the deal following the peace treaty at Pirot. That Swiss had told them of how he was in the very regiment that Sergius had routed that he had run away like the others in that Serb regiment. To escape the pursuing Bulgarian soldiers he had climbed a water pipe of a house and got into the bedroom of a young Bulgarian lady. The lady was "enchanted" with him and had been "entertained" by him for an hour or so. She had then informed her mother who was "equally fascinated" by the Swiss. He was disguised in the coat of the "master of the house" who was at the war.
Catherine had heard the story from Sergius.
(iii) : Raina's father had asked for his "old coat" in which he used to feel very much "at home" - the same coat which the two ladies in Sergius' story had had their Swiss fugitive disguised in.
The "Swiss" fugitive - the mercenary to the Serbian army, who had sought and been given refuge from Raina - 'The Man', 'the chocolate cream soldier', 'the poor darling' had been sent away in that coat.
(iv) : 'the little beast' that Raina is talking about is the very same "Swiss' who had been given refuge by Raina, whom Raina had given her last chocolate creams to and whom she had saved.
Raina calls him 'the little beast' as she is annoyed with him at having broadcast the story of his escape from Bulgarian soldiers after his defeat at Slivnitza. The phrase expresses some annoyance but also some affection.
(v) : Raina says that she will fill the beast's mouth with chocolate creams - referring to the chocolate creams he had ravenously stuffed his mouth with because he was so famished when he had sought refuge in Raina's room. Those were the last of Raina's chocolate creams at that time. At this moment of time she wishes she had more of those chocolate creams so that he would fill his moth with them rather than betraying her care for him and revealing their secret of his refuge to everyone.
It reveals that though Raina may be a bit upset with the man because the story of his seeking refuge in her room had been shared with precisely the persons she least wanted to hear it, she has affection for him - almost the affection one would have for a naughty child.
(vi) : 'The man' - the Swiss mercenary fighting with the Serbian army - in the very same regiment that Sergius had defeated, had sought refuge in Raina's room from the pursuing Bulgarian soldiers who wanted his life. According to Sergius account of the event he had stayed for an hour or so. Raina had told her mother about it after 'The man' had told her that it would be better to inform her mother of his presence as it would be very awkward if he were found in her room. Sergius' account agrees with what we saw and heard in Act 1.
Yes, she did tell her mother about it. However, in the passage following this quotation we realise that Raina probably told her mother that the man had climbed into her room after the Russian officer had searched her room. Actually, the man had hidden in her room behind the curtain and rain had protected him from discovery.
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