way: "There
was a time when Odette loved me more," but he never formed any definite
picture of that time. Just as he had in his study a cupboard at which he
contrived never to look, which he turned aside to avoid passing whenever
he entered or left the room, because in one of its drawers he had locked
away the chrysanthemum which she had given him on one of those first
evenings when he had taken her home in his carriage, and the letters in
which she said: "Why did you not forget your heart also? I should never
have let you have that back," and "At whatever hour of the day or night
you may need me, just send me a word, and dispose of me as you please,"
so there was a place in his heart to which he would never allow his
thoughts to trespass too near, forcing them, if need be, to evade it by
a long course of reasoning so that they should not have to pass within
reach of it; the place in which lingered his memories of happy days.

But his so meticulous prudence was defeated one evening when he had gone
out to a party.

It was at the Marquise de Saint-Euverte's, on the last, for that season,
of the evenings on which she invited people to listen to the musicians
who would serve, later on, for her charity concerts. Swann, who had
intended to go to each of the previous evenings in turn, but had never
been able to make up his mind, received, while he was dressing for this
party, a visit from the Baron de Charlus, who came with an offer to
go with him to the Marquise's, if his company could be of any use in
helping Swann not to feel quite so bored when he got there, to be a
little less unhappy. But Swann had thanked him with:

"You can't conceive how glad I should be of your company. But the
greatest pleasure that you can give me will be if you will go instead
to see Odette. You know what a splendid influence you have over her. I
don't suppose she'll be going anywhere this evening, unless she goes to
see her old dressmaker, and I'm sure she would be delighted if you went
with her there. In any case, you'll find her at home before then. Try
to keep her amused, and also to give her a little sound advice. If you
could arrange something for to-morrow which would please her, something
that we could all three do together. Try to put out a feeler, too, for
the summer; see if there's anything she wants to do, a cruise that we
might all three take; anything you can think of. I don't count upon
seeing her to-night, myself; still if she