2 (i) : Major Petkoff makes a bet first with Catherine, his wife, that Nicola will not find his old coat in the blue closet. He promises to give Catherine any piece of jewellry she would like to order from Sofia, if she were to win the bet. However, if she were to lose the bet she would lose a week's housekeeping money. Catherine had confidently agrees to Paul's bet.
Paul then wishes to gamble a little more and make bets with Bluntschli and Sergius.
(ii) : Bluntschli says that taking the bet with Paul would be robbing him because Bluntsschli has "insider's information", meaning he is privy to the information that since Paul has looked into the cupboard the coat which was in the bag that he had brought with him would surely have been been placed in the cupboard under Catherine's direction, if not by herself, given that Catherine is an "imperiously energetic" woman and would not hesitate to ensure that what was necessary would be done with all haste. Bluntschli could thus say with confidence "Madame is sure to be right" and he (Bluntschli) would be sure to win and Paul would have to pay more money to him. rob" in this sense would mean to take the money when Paul did not suspect that Bluntschli knew he would win it.
(iii) : Sergius bets that if he (Sergius) would lose he would give his best horse (Charger) to Raina. However, if Paul were to lose, Paul would need to buy Raina and Arab mare.
The bet that Sergius suggests shows that he would like to shower his betrothed with very expensive gifts. It could either show that Sergius was willing to sacrifice a lot for the sake of his love for Raina or that he wanted to proclaim how mu ch in esteem he held Raina and that whether he won or lost he would like her to be a beneficiary of a very expensive gift.
(iv) : Paul supposed to give jewelry to Catherine if he lost the bet. Paul had said that should she win she would be given any piece of jewelry she liked to order from Sofia.
(v); When Raina uses the phrase "my Arab" she is referring to the bet Sergius had suggested to Paul : that if Paul lost the bet to Sergius, he would have to gift Raina an Arab mare. Raina speaks as if she has already won the bet and already owned the "mare".
(vi) : We do not know if Nicola really finds Paul's old coat in the blue closet or whether when he was asked to fetch his master's old coat, he took it out Bluntschli's bag. All we know is that he does return with Paul's old coat, much to Paul's great surprise.
In either case it shows that Nicola is a very trusted servant and knows well what is expected of him in all circumstances. In this circumstance, he had either very deftly placed the coat which Bluntschli had returned with in the blue closet between when Paul had searched for it and the time he was asked for it. On the other hand if the coat had still been in the bag, he had promptly done what was expected, even if it was ungentlemanly, and opened Bluntschli's bag, removed the coat and brought it to Paul.
Paul then wishes to gamble a little more and make bets with Bluntschli and Sergius.
(ii) : Bluntschli says that taking the bet with Paul would be robbing him because Bluntsschli has "insider's information", meaning he is privy to the information that since Paul has looked into the cupboard the coat which was in the bag that he had brought with him would surely have been been placed in the cupboard under Catherine's direction, if not by herself, given that Catherine is an "imperiously energetic" woman and would not hesitate to ensure that what was necessary would be done with all haste. Bluntschli could thus say with confidence "Madame is sure to be right" and he (Bluntschli) would be sure to win and Paul would have to pay more money to him. rob" in this sense would mean to take the money when Paul did not suspect that Bluntschli knew he would win it.
(iii) : Sergius bets that if he (Sergius) would lose he would give his best horse (Charger) to Raina. However, if Paul were to lose, Paul would need to buy Raina and Arab mare.
The bet that Sergius suggests shows that he would like to shower his betrothed with very expensive gifts. It could either show that Sergius was willing to sacrifice a lot for the sake of his love for Raina or that he wanted to proclaim how mu ch in esteem he held Raina and that whether he won or lost he would like her to be a beneficiary of a very expensive gift.
(iv) : Paul supposed to give jewelry to Catherine if he lost the bet. Paul had said that should she win she would be given any piece of jewelry she liked to order from Sofia.
(v); When Raina uses the phrase "my Arab" she is referring to the bet Sergius had suggested to Paul : that if Paul lost the bet to Sergius, he would have to gift Raina an Arab mare. Raina speaks as if she has already won the bet and already owned the "mare".
(vi) : We do not know if Nicola really finds Paul's old coat in the blue closet or whether when he was asked to fetch his master's old coat, he took it out Bluntschli's bag. All we know is that he does return with Paul's old coat, much to Paul's great surprise.
In either case it shows that Nicola is a very trusted servant and knows well what is expected of him in all circumstances. In this circumstance, he had either very deftly placed the coat which Bluntschli had returned with in the blue closet between when Paul had searched for it and the time he was asked for it. On the other hand if the coat had still been in the bag, he had promptly done what was expected, even if it was ungentlemanly, and opened Bluntschli's bag, removed the coat and brought it to Paul.
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