credulity,butithad,forallthat,remainedthere,andSwann,wishingtoberidof

please!IfIneededthemoney,Icouldunderstand...‘Theporterhasordersnotto

ofsomethingorotherwhich,Iknewatthetime,wasn’ttrue,”hepursued,

youhearmesaythatIdon’twantto!Theideaofsuchathing,Idon’tlikeitat

itsessentialpart,therewouldremainintheaccessoriessomethingwhichSwann

“Ohdear,no!Notthattheydon’tsimplypersecutemetogotothem,”her

itsbosom,likecorpsesinariver.Andtheypoisonedit.

ignorantofthefact.Andsuddenlyhebegantotrembleatthethoughtthat,onthe

smilerevealedagratifiedvanitywhichshenolongersawthatitwasimpossible

IdowishyoucouldhaveseenthewayItackledher;mymaidwasinthenext

room,listening,andtoldmeIshoutedfittobringthehousedown:—‘Butwhen

hertome’—meaningme!TheytoldherI’dgoneout,butshewaitedand

ShespoketohimonceofavisitthatForchevillehadpaidheronthedayof

theMaisond’Or.Shesworethatshehadnot.“Still,theMaisond’Orremindsme

theburden—adeadweight,butnonethelessdisturbing—ofthissuspicion,

waited,andintheendIhadtogomyselfandspeaktoher,beforeshe’dgoaway.

Besides,herveryadmissions—whenshemadeany—offaultswhichshe

thetermsoftheproblemofhisjealousy.Andtheseadmissionshecouldnever

afterall,thoughpeopledosaysuchdreadfulthingsabouther.”

courseyoudid,”hecorrectedhimself,soasnottoshewthathehadbeen

theParis-MurcieFête.“What!youknewhimaslongagoasthat?Oh,yes,of

hadneveryetimagined,whichcrushedhimanew,andwastoenablehimtoalter

supposedhimtohavediscovered,ratherservedSwannasastarting-pointfor

forget.Hisspiritcarriedthemalong,castthemaside,thencradledthemagainin

hopedthatOdettewouldnowextirpateitforever.

carefullypreserved,shehadbeenhavingluncheon,perhaps,withForchevilleat

seems,there’sanAmbassadorwhosaidtoher,‘I’llkillmyselfifyoudon’tbring

letherinagain;hewilltellherthatIamoutoftown.Oh,IdowishIcouldhave

shouldappearlegitimatetoSwann.“Therewasoneofthemwaitedmorethan

all!IshouldhopeI’mstillfreetodoasIpleaseandwhenIpleaseandwhereI

hadyouhiddensomewhereintheroomwhileIwastalkingtoher.Iknow,you’d

dayoftheParis-MurcieFête,whenhehadreceivedthatletterwhichhehadso

freshdoubtsthantheyputanendtotheold.Forheradmissionsneverexactly

havebeenpleased,mydear.There’ssomegoodinyourlittleOdette,yousee,

coincidedwithhisdoubts.InvainmightOdetteexpurgateherconfessionofall

twohoursformeyesterday,saidshewouldgivemeanymoneyIasked.It

hopingtofrightenher.“YesthatIhadn’tbeenthereatallthateveningwhenItoldyouIhadjustcomefromthere,andyouhadbeenlookingformeat

withallthesharpnessandforceofaheadsmanwieldinghisaxe,andyetcould

MurcieFête,ifitweretrue?Especiallyasatthattimewedidn’tknowone

spiritlesscreaturewhichthesecrushingwordshadmadeofhim.Andso,evenin

him!Besidesthatmoment(thatfirsteveningonwhichtheyhad“donea

beangrywithme.Itwasratherniceofme,really,don’tyousee?Iadmit,Idid

thoughtheywerethewordsofaGospel,beneathherdailyactionswhichshehad

“IneedonlytellMme.Verdurinthatmydresswasn’tready,orthatmycabcame

Hesmiledbackatherwiththesudden,cravenweaknessoftheutterly

howmanyothersmusttherehavebeen,eachofthemcoveringafalsehoodof

someotherman,somemantowhomshehadsaid:“IneedonlytellSwannthat

Odettehadeverspokentohiminthoseolddays,wordswhichhehadbelievedas

wrong,butatleastI’mtellingyouallaboutitnow,a’n’tI?WhathaveItogain

Prévost’s,”shereplied(judgingbyhismannerthatheknew)withafirmnessthat

wasbasednotsomuchuponcynicismasupontimidity,afearofcrossing

toohappy,inthosemonthswhenshehadlovedhim,shewasalreadylyingto

evenbegantolaugh,thoughthismayperhaps,itistrue,havebeenchieflyto

havingtheleastinklingofitatthetime,anengagementthatshehadhadwith

keephimfromthinkingthatshewasashamed,atall,orconfused.“It’squite

whichSwannhadhadnosuspicion.Herecalledhowshehadsaidtohimonce:

whenshehadgliblyutteredsuchwordsasexplainadelayorjustifyanalteration

late.Thereisalwayssomeexcuse.”Fromhimselftoo,probably,manytimes

had,really,beentoPrévost’sthatwasn’tastoryandhemetmethereand

themonthsofwhichhehadneverdaredtothinkagain,becausetheyhadbeen

ofthehourfixedforameeting,thosemomentsmusthavehidden,withouthis

true,Ihadn’tbeentotheMaisonDorée.IwascomingawayfromForcheville’s.I

Swann,whichherownself-respectmadeheranxioustoconceal,andadesireto

askedmetocomeinandlookathisprints.Butsomeoneelsecametoseehim.I

bynottellingyou,straight,thatIlunchedwithhimonthedayoftheParis

notbechargedwithcruelty,sinceshewasquiteunconsciousofhurtinghim;she

mydresswasn’tready,orthatmycabcamelate.Thereisalwayssomeexcuse.”

cattleya”)whenshehadtoldhimthatshewascomingfromtheMaisonDorée,

toldyouthatIwascomingfromtheMaisond’OrbecauseIwasafraidyoumight

Andbeneathallhismostpleasantmemories,beneaththesimplestwordsthat

anotherquitesowellaswedonow,didwe,dear?”

shewhimthatshecouldbeperfectlyfrankifshechose.Andsoshestruckhim

recountedtohim,beneaththemostordinaryplaces,herdressmaker’sflat,the