No More Learning

La vérité est que se jugeant, se sachant d'une
famille princière, il aurait voulu que son frère et sa belle-soeur
disent de lui: «Charlus», comme la reine Marie-Amélie ou le duc
d'Orléans pouvaient dire de leurs fils, petits-fils, neveux et frères:
«Joinville, Nemours, Chartres, Paris».

--Quel cachottier que ce Mémé, s'écria-t-elle. Nous lui avons parlé
longuement de vous, il nous a dit qu'il serait très heureux de faire
votre connaissance, absolument comme s'il ne vous avait jamais vu.
Avouez qu'il est drôle! et, ce qui n'est pas très gentil de ma part à
dire d'un beau-frère que j'adore et dont j'admire la rare valeur, par
moments un peu fou.

Je fus très frappé de ce mot appliqué à M. de Charlus et je me dis que
cette demi-folie expliquait peut-être certaines choses, par exemple
qu'il eût paru si enchanté du projet de demander à Bloch de battre sa
propre mère. Je m'avisai que non seulement par les choses qu'il disait,
mais par la manière dont il les disait, M. de Charlus était un peu fou.
La première fois qu'on entend un avocat ou un acteur, on est surpris de
leur ton tellement différent de la conversation. Mais comme on se rend
compte que tout le monde trouve cela tout naturel, on ne dit rien aux
autres, on ne se dit rien à soi-même, on se contente d'apprécier le
degré de talent. Tout au plus pense-t-on d'un acteur du
Théâtre-Français: «Pourquoi au lieu de laisser retomber son bras levé
l'a-t-il fait descendre par petites saccades coupées de repos, pendant
au moins dix minutes? » ou d'un Labori: «Pourquoi, dès qu'il a ouvert la
bouche, a-t-il émis ces sons tragiques, inattendus, pour dire la chose
la plus simple? » Mais comme tout le monde admet cela _a priori_, on
n'est pas choqué. De même, en y réfléchissant, on se disait que M. de
Charlus parlait de soi avec emphase, sur un ton qui n'était nullement
celui du débit ordinaire. Il semblait qu'on eût dû à toute minute lui
dire: «Mais pourquoi criez-vous si fort? pourquoi êtes-vous si
insolent? » Seulement tout le monde semblait bien avoir admis tacitement
que c'était bien ainsi. Et on entrait dans la ronde qui lui faisait fête
pendant qu'il pérorait. Mais certainement à de certains moments un
étranger eût cru entendre crier un dément.

--Mais vous êtes sûr que vous ne confondez pas, que vous parlez bien de
mon beau-frère Palamède? ajouta la duchesse avec une légère impertinence
qui se greffait chez elle sur la simplicité.

Je répondis que j'étais absolument sûr et qu'il fallait que M. de
Charlus eût mal entendu mon nom.

--Eh bien! je vous quitte, me dit comme à regret Mme de Guermantes. Il
faut que j'aille une seconde chez la princesse de Ligne. Vous n'y allez
pas? Non, vous n'aimez pas le monde? Vous avez bien raison, c'est
assommant. Si je n'étais pas obligée! Mais c'est ma cousine, ce ne
serait pas gentil. Je regrette égoïstement, pour moi, parce que
j'aurais pu vous conduire, même vous ramener. Alors je vous dis au
revoir et je me réjouis pour mercredi.

Que M. de Charlus eût rougi de moi devant M. d'Argencourt, passe encore.
Mais qu'à sa propre belle-soeur, et qui avait une si haute idée de lui,
il niât me connaître, fait si naturel puisque je connaissais à la fois
sa tante et son neveu, c'est ce que je ne pouvais comprendre.

Je terminerai ceci en disant qu'à un certain point de vue il y avait
chez Mme de Guermantes une véritable grandeur qui consistait à effacer
entièrement tout ce que d'autres n'eussent qu'incomplètement oublié.
Elle ne m'eût jamais rencontré la harcelant, la suivant, la pistant,
dans ses promenades matinales, elle n'eût jamais répondu à mon salut
quotidien avec une impatience excédée, elle n'eût jamais envoyé promener
Saint-Loup quand il l'avait suppliée de m'inviter, qu'elle n'aurait pas
pu avoir avec moi des façons plus noblement et naturellement aimables.
Non seulement elle ne s'attardait pas à des explications
rétrospectives, à des demi-mots, à des sourires ambigus, à des
sous-entendus, non seulement elle avait dans son affabilité actuelle,
sans retours en arrière, sans réticences, quelque chose d'aussi
fièrement rectiligne que sa majestueuse stature, mais les griefs qu'elle
avait pu ressentir contre quelqu'un dans le passé étaient si entièrement
réduits en cendres, ces cendres étaient elles-mêmes rejetées si loin de
sa mémoire ou tout au moins de sa manière d'être, qu'à regarder son
visage chaque fois qu'elle avait à traiter par la plus belle des
simplifications ce qui chez tant d'autres eût été prétexte à des restes
de froideur, à des récriminations, on avait l'impression d'une sorte de
purification.

Mais si j'étais surpris de la modification qui s'était opérée en elle à
mon égard, combien je l'étais plus d'en trouver en moi une tellement
plus grande au sien. N'y avait-il pas eu un moment où je ne reprenais
vie et force que si j'avais, échafaudant toujours de nouveaux projets,
cherché quelqu'un qui me ferait recevoir par elle et, après ce premier
bonheur, en procurerait bien d'autres à mon coeur de plus en plus
exigeant? C'était l'impossibilité de rien trouver qui m'avait fait
partir à Doncières voir Robert de Saint-Loup. Et maintenant, c'était
bien par les conséquences dérivant d'une lettre de lui que j'étais
agité, mais à cause de Mme de Stermaria et non de Mme de Guermantes.

Ajoutons, pour en finir avec cette soirée, qu'il s'y passa un fait,
démenti quelques jours après, qui ne laissa pas de m'étonner, me
brouilla pour quelque temps avec Bloch, et qui constitue en soi une de
ces curieuses contradictions dont on va trouver l'explication à la fin
de ce volume[1] (Sodome I). Donc, chez Mme de Villeparisis, Bloch ne
cessa de me vanter l'air d'amabilité de M. de Charlus, lequel Charlus,
quand il le rencontrait dans la rue, le regardait dans les yeux comme
s'il le connaissait, avait envie de le connaître, savait très bien qui
il était. J'en souris d'abord, Bloch s'étant exprimé avec tant de
violence à Balbec sur le compte du même M. de Charlus. Et je pensai
simplement que Bloch, à l'instar de son père pour Bergotte, connaissait
le baron «sans le connaître». Et que ce qu'il prenait pour un regard
aimable était un regard distrait. Mais enfin Bloch vint à tant de
précisions, et sembla si certain qu'à deux ou trois reprises M. de
Charlus avait voulu l'aborder, que, me rappelant que j'avais parlé de
mon camarade au baron, lequel m'avait justement, en revenant d'une
visite chez Mme de Villeparisis, posé sur lui diverses questions, je fis
la supposition que Bloch ne mentait pas, que M. de Charlus avait appris
son nom, qu'il était mon ami, etc. . . . Aussi quelque temps après, au
théâtre, je demandai à M. de Charlus de lui présenter Bloch, et sur son
acquiescement allai le chercher. Mais dès que M. de Charlus l'aperçut,
un étonnement aussitôt réprimé se peignit sur sa figure où il fut
remplacé par une étincelante fureur. Non seulement il ne tendit pas la
main à Bloch, mais chaque fois que celui-ci lui adressa la parole il lui
répondit de l'air le plus insolent, d'une voix irritée et blessante. De
sorte que Bloch, qui, à ce qu'il disait, n'avait eu jusque-là du baron
que des sourires, crut que je l'avais non pas recommandé mais desservi,
pendant le court entretien où, sachant le goût de M. de Charlus pour les
protocoles, je lui avais parlé de mon camarade avant de l'amener à lui.
Bloch nous quitta, éreinté comme qui a voulu monter un cheval tout le
temps prêt à prendre le mors aux dents, ou nager contre des vagues qui
vous rejettent sans cesse sur le galet, et ne me reparla pas de six
mois.

[Footnote 1: Dans l'édition originale «Sodome et Gomorrhe I» se
trouvait compris dans le même volume que cette 2e partie du Côté de
Guermantes, ce qui explique la phrase et la parenthèse. Mais, dans cette
édition in-octavo, le titre de Sodome est reporté au volume suivant. ]





End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Le Côté de Guermantes, by Marcel Proust

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LE CÔTÉ DE GUERMANTES ***

***** This file should be named 12999-8. txt or 12999-8. zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
https://www. gutenberg. org/1/2/9/9/12999/

Produced by Robert Connal, Wilelmina Mallière and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team. From images generously made available
by gallica (Bibliothèque nationale de France) at http://gallica. bnf. fr


Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.

Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you! ) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution.



*** START: FULL LICENSE ***

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
https://gutenberg. org/license).


Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works

1. A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1. E. 8.

1. B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1. C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works. See paragraph 1. E below.

1. C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.

1. D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.

1. E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1. E. 1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www. gutenberg. org

1. E. 2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1. E. 1
through 1. E. 7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1. E. 8 or
1. E. 9.

1. E. 3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1. E. 1 through 1. E. 7 and any additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1. E. 4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.

1. E. 5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1. E. 1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.

1. E. 6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www. gutenberg. org),
you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License as specified in paragraph 1. E. 1.

1. E. 7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1. E. 8 or 1. E. 9.

1. E. 8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
that

- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is
owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments
must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. "

- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a user to return or
destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
Project Gutenberg-tm works.

- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1. F. 3, a full refund of any
money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
of receipt of the work.

- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.

1. E. 9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the
Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1. F.

1. F. 1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
collection.
Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
your equipment.

1. F. 2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1. F. 3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

1. F. 3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
opportunities to fix the problem.

1. F. 4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1. F. 3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1. F. 5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1. F. 6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.


Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm

Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists
because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
and the Foundation web page at https://www. pglaf. org.


Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
https://pglaf. org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
permitted by U. S. federal laws and your state's laws.

The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
Fairbanks, AK, 99712. , but its volunteers and employees are scattered
throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at
809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
business@pglaf. org. Email contact links and up to date contact
information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
page at https://pglaf. org

For additional contact information:
Dr. Gregory B. Newby
Chief Executive and Director
gbnewby@pglaf. org


Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To
SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
particular state visit https://pglaf. org

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U. S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf. org/donate


Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works.

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.


Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U. S.
unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily
keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.


Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:

https://www. gutenberg. org

This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.