. They must be
'country cousins'! By the way, I don't know whether you're particularly
'well-up' in the brilliant society which we see before us, because I've
no idea who all these astonishing people can be. What do you suppose
they do with themselves when they're not at Mme. de Saint-Euverte's
parties? She must have ordered them in with the musicians and the chairs
and the food. 'Universal providers,' you know. You must admit, they're
rather splendid, General. But can she really have the courage to hire
the same 'supers' every week? It isn't possible!"

"Oh, but Cambremer is quite a good name; old, too," protested the
General.

"I see no objection to its being old," the Princess answered dryly, "but
whatever else it is it's not euphonious," she went on, isolating the
word euphonious as though between inverted commas, a little affectation
to which the Guermantes set were addicted.

"You think not, eh! She's a regular little peach, though," said the
General, whose eyes never strayed from Mme. de Cambremer. "Don't you
agree with me, Princess?"

"She thrusts herself forward too much; I think, in so young a woman,
that's not very nice--for I don't suppose she's my generation," replied
Mme. des Laumes (the last word being common, it appeared, to Gallardon
and Guermantes). And then, seeing that M. de Froberville was still
gazing at Mme. de Cambremer, she added, half out of malice towards the
lady, half wishing to oblige the General: "Not very nice... for her
husband! I am sorry that I do not know her, since she seems to attract
you so much; I might have introduced you to her," said the Princess,
who, if she had known the young woman, would most probably have done
nothing of the sort. "And now I must say good night, because one of
my friends is having a birthday party, and I must go and wish her many
happy returns," she explained, modestly and with truth, reducing the
fashionable gathering to which she was going to the simple proportions
of a ceremony which would be boring in the extreme, but at which she was
obliged to be present, and there would be something touching about her
appearance. "Besides, I must pick up Basin. While I've been here, he's
gone to see those friends of his--you know them too, I'm sure,--who are
called after a bridge--oh, yes, the Ienas."

"It was a battle before it was a bridge, Princess; it was a victory!"
said the General. "I mean to say, to an old soldier like me," he went
on, wiping his monoc