Page 532 - swanns-way

‘I say, Swann, I’d rather be married to that little woman
than killed by savages, what do you say?’
The words ‘killed by savages’ pierced Swann’s aching
heart; and at once he felt the need of continuing the con-
versation. ‘Ah!’ he began, ‘some fine lives have been lost in
that way... There was, you remember, that explorer whose
remains Dumont d’Urville brought back, La Pérouse...’
(and he was at once happy again, as though he had named
Odette). ‘He was a fine character, and interests me very
much, does La Pérouse,’ he ended sadly.
‘Oh, yes, of course, La Pérouse,’ said the General. ‘It’s
quite a well-known name. There’s a street called that.’
‘Do you know anyone in the Rue La Pérouse?’ asked
Swann excitedly.
‘Only Mme. de Chanlivault, the sister of that good fellow
Chaussepierre. She gave a most amusing theatre-party the
other evening. That’s a house that will be really smart some
day, you’ll see!’
‘Oh, so she lives in the Rue La Pérouse. It’s attractive; I
like that street; it’s so sombre.’
‘Indeed it isn’t. You can’t have been in it for a long time;
it’s not at all sombre now; they’re beginning to build all
round there.’
When Swann did finally introduce M. de Froberville to
the young Mme. de Cambremer, since it was the first time
that she had heard the General’s name, she hastily outlined
upon her lips the smile of joy and surprise with which she
would have greeted him if she had never, in the whole of her
life, heard anything else; for, as she did not yet know all the

532 Swann’s Way