Page 158 - swanns-way

est in ‘persons’ had ended in her confusing all their names
and titles, whenever anyone mentioned the Duchesse de
Guermantes used to make out that she must be related to
Mme. de Villeparisis. The whole family would then burst
out laughing; and she would attempt to justify herself by
harking back to some invitation to a christening or funeral:
‘I feel sure that there was a Guermantes in it somewhere.’
And for once I would side with the others, and against her,
refusing to admit that there could be any connection be-
tween her school-friend and the descendant of Geneviève
de Brabant.)
‘Look at Roussainville,’ the Curé went on. ‘It is nothing
more nowadays than a parish of farmers, though in olden
times the place must have had a considerable importance
from its trade in felt hats and clocks. (I am not certain, by
the way, of the etymology of Roussainville. I should dearly
like to think that the name was originally Rouville, from
Radulfi villa, analogous, don’t you see, to Châteauroux,
Castrum Radulfi, but we will talk about that some other
time.) Very well; the church there has superb windows, al-
most all quite modern, including that most imposing ‘Entry
of Louis-Philippe into Combray’ which would be more in
keeping, surely, at Combray itself, and which is every bit as
good, I understand, as the famous^windows at Chartres.
Only yesterday I met Dr. Percepied’s brother, who goes in
for these things, and he told me that he looked upon it as
a most beautiful piece of work. But, as I said to this artist,
who, by the way, seems to be a most civil fellow, and is a
regular virtuoso, it appears, with his brush; what on earth,

158 Swann’s Way