Butshewasneverthatforverylong; afterafewdaystheshining, craftyeyeslosttheirbrightnessandtheirduplicity, thatpictureofanexecrableOdettesayingtoForcheville: "Lookathimstorming!" , softlyradiant, thefaceoftheotherOdette, ofthatOdettewhoalsoturnedwithasmiletoForcheville, butwithasmileinwhichtherewasnothingbutaffectionforSwann, whenshesaid: "Youmustn'tstaylong, forthisgentlemandoesn'tmuchlikemyhavingvisitorswhenhe'! ifyouonlyknewthecreatureasIknowhim!" thatsamesmilewithwhichsheusedtothankSwannforsomeinstanceofhiscourtesywhichsheprizedsohighly, forsomeadviceforwhichshehadaskedhiminoneofthosegravecrisesinherlife, whenshecouldturntohimalone.

Then, tothisotherOdette, hewouldaskhimselfwhatcouldhaveinducedhimtowritethatoutrageousletter, ofwhich, probably, untilthen, shehadneversupposedhimcapable, aletterwhichmusthaveloweredhimfromthehigh, fromthesupremeplacewhich, byhisgenerosity, byhisloyalty, , sinceitwasforthosequalities, whichshefoundneitherinForchevillenorinanyother, , whichcountedforlessthannothinginhismomentsofjealousy, becauseitwasnotasignofreciprocaldesire, wasindeedaproofratherofaffectionthanoflove, buttheimportanceofwhichhebeganoncemoretofeelinproportionasthespontaneousrelaxationofhissuspicions, oftenacceleratedbythedistractionbroughttohimbyreadingaboutartorbytheconversationofafriend, renderedhispassionlessexactingofreciprocities.