Björn Bergenholtz
(former alias "Calalp")

Sigh, and sorry, but I didn't intend to stretch anything, nor did I (strictly speaking) translate "jovial and open" into "gay". I just wanted to hint at what I believed could be a possible reason of why Jabouille's supposed/alleged wife seems to be, or could be, so hard to find.
Either way; it's always tricky (and somewhat risky) trying to interpret the finer nuances in language from a text translated over and over (from French, to English, to Swedish), and certainly so when not understanding French, not fluent in English, as well as uncertain of the first translation, even more so when dealing with such a short excerpt.
Of course, Jabouille could have been "straight as a fiddle", or not, in this context; nothing but happy to meet a guy in the same age, free to roam the surroundings, when he realized that Delacour wasn't an old, pompous professor.
And thanks Laurent, for the remark on the erroneous 'solonnel', you're perfectly right (should have been 'solennel' (solemn). Typo, my slippery fingers, sorry. I really should try to stay away from these French guys (and texts), but ... what can one do? When the searchlight is switched on?
I certainly do! I was one of them myself, for years and year (read; decades), before I met my wife ...
That's way before I ended up here, nowadays somewhat sadly (no blame on her part) spending most of my 'birding' activities in front of a screen.
Björn
Either way; it's always tricky (and somewhat risky) trying to interpret the finer nuances in language from a text translated over and over (from French, to English, to Swedish), and certainly so when not understanding French, not fluent in English, as well as uncertain of the first translation, even more so when dealing with such a short excerpt.
Of course, Jabouille could have been "straight as a fiddle", or not, in this context; nothing but happy to meet a guy in the same age, free to roam the surroundings, when he realized that Delacour wasn't an old, pompous professor.
And thanks Laurent, for the remark on the erroneous 'solonnel', you're perfectly right (should have been 'solennel' (solemn). Typo, my slippery fingers, sorry. I really should try to stay away from these French guys (and texts), but ... what can one do? When the searchlight is switched on?
...
(I certainly know birders who never married without being gays, and who prefer birding trips with people who do not bring a non-birding family with them. Don't you?)
I certainly do! I was one of them myself, for years and year (read; decades), before I met my wife ...
That's way before I ended up here, nowadays somewhat sadly (no blame on her part) spending most of my 'birding' activities in front of a screen.
Björn