Page 164 - swanns-way

like myself,’ or ‘people no better than myself,’ people whom
she despised even more if they did not address her always as
‘Mme. Françoise,’ just to shew that they considered them-
selves to be ‘not as good.’ And when she saw that, despite
all her warnings, my aunt continued to do exactly as she
pleased, and to fling money away with both hands (or so, at
least, Françoise believed) on undeserving objects, she began
to find that the presents she herself received from my aunt
were very tiny compared to the imaginary riches squan-
dered upon Eulalie, There was not, in the neighbourhood
of Combray, a farm of such prosperity and importance that
Françoise doubted Eulalie’s ability to buy it, without think-
ing twice, out of the capital which her visits to my aunt had
‘brought in.’ It must be added that Eulalie had formed an
exactly similar estimate of the vast and secret hoards of
Françoise. So, every Sunday, after Eulalie had gone, Fran-
çoise would mercilessly prophesy her coming downfall. She
hated Eulalie, but was at the same time afraid of her, and so
felt bound, when Eulalie was there, to ‘look pleasant.’ But
she would make up for that after the other’s departure; nev-
er, it is true, alluding to her by name, bul hinting at her in
Sibylline oracles, or in utterances of a comprehensive char-
acter, like those of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher, but so worded
that their special application could not escape my aunt.
After peering out at the side of the curtain to see whether
Eulalie had shut the front-door behind her; ‘Flatterers know
how to make themselves welcome, and to gather up the
crumbs; but have patience, have patience; our God is a jeal-
ous God, and one fine day He will be avenged upon them!’

164 Swann’s Way