Annotations by Alexey Sklyarenko

In Canto Two of his poem John Shade (the poet in VN's novel Pale Fire, 1962) quotes a line from Pope's Essay on Man in which the blind beggar is mentioned:

I went upstairs and read a galley proof,

And heard the wind roll marbles on the roof.

"See the blind beggar dance, the cripple sing"

Has unmistakably the vulgar ring

Of its preposterous age. Then came your call,

My tender mockingbird, up from the hall.

I was in time to overhear brief fame

In his farewell letter to Marina (in VN's novel Ada, 1969, Van's, Ada's and Lucette's mother) Demon Veen (Van's and Ada's father) mentions his aunt's ranch near Lolita, Texas:

In VN's novel Ada (1969) Van learns the name of Ada's future husband from his and Ada's half-sister Lucette:

Describing his last visit to Villa Venus (Eric Veen's floramors), Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN's novel Ada, 1969) mentions the wretched florinda on the tumbled bed and a maidservant, Princess Kachurin:

Describing the family dinner in "Ardis the Second," Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions Lord Byron's Hock and a couple of fake Correggios that Daniel Veen (Marina's husband) acquired from a gaming friend of Demon's:

‘Ah!’ said Demon, tasting Lord Byron’s Hock. ‘This redeems Our Lady’s Tears.’

In VN's novel Ada (1969) Van, Ada and their mother Marina have no Spanish:

For some odd reason both children were relieved to learn that a stranger was expected to dinner. He was an Andalusian architect whom Uncle Dan wanted to plan an ‘artistic’ swimming pool for Ardis Manor. Uncle Dan had intended to come, too, with an interpreter, but had caught the Russian ‘hrip’ (Spanish flu) instead, and had phoned Marina asking her to be very nice to good old Alonso.

‘You must help me!’ Marina told the children with a worried frown.

Describing the morning after the Night of the Burning Barn (when he and Ada make love for the first time), Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN's novel Ada, 1969) mentions the tiger of happiness:

When Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) leaves Ardis forever, Trofim Fartukov (the Russian coachman in “Ardis the Second”) addresses him ‘Barin, a barin' ("master, but master"):  

‘The express does not stop at Torfyanka, does it, Trofim?’

‘I’ll take you five versts across the bog,’ said Trofim, ‘the nearest is Volosyanka.’

His vulgar Russian word for Maidenhair; a whistle stop; train probably crowded.

Describing his last visit to one last Villa Venus, Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) quotes the bawd's words ‘Smorchiama la secandela’ (let us snuff out the candle):

Describing Villa Venus (Eric Veen's floramors), Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions a village in Normandy called, dreadfully, Deuil: