Marcel Proust is preparing his literary pastiches. 1909.

 Marcel Proust (1871.1922)

Autographed letter signed to Georges de Lauris.

Four pages in-12°. No place [early October 1909]

Kolb, Volume IX, pages 192-193

^first paragraph of the first ^chapter of Ste Beuve copied onto my rough drafts [...] and as soon as it's copied, would you give me an evening to come and read it to me?"

A lovely, friendly letter relating to Lauris's novel.

__________________________________________________

"My dear Georges, A quick note because I'm having post-return crises. Your letter is coming back to me in Paris as the hotel didn't want to keep me and I didn't have the desire, after the time I spent there last year, to return to Versailles."

I'm glad that you're already thinking about something new as soon as you finished your book. "Not a very happy romantic adventure" appealed to me in your letter. So, are there happy ones? Yes, there are lucky people who claim they are, and for whom these adventures are very happy. But I wonder if they're truly romantic.

I'm glad to hear what you say about Bertrand's possible return. I often think of him and would be happy to see him again, provided it doesn't harm our friendship. The order of things has now been reversed.  You are my primary friend , and he is secondary. And if he were to have as negative an influence on your friendship with me as you had on his, I would feel the same resentment I harbored for so long against you, but which has now completely dissipated!

Georges, I may not try to see you before the beginning of November. But while I recover a bit from the return trip, ^first paragraph of the first ^chapter of Sainte-Beuve copied onto my rough drafts (it's almost a whole volume, that first paragraph!). As soon as it's copied, would you give me an evening and come read it to me? Even if I can hardly speak, what I've written will speak to you. At least, I hope so. Yours affectionately, Marcel.

I am delighted by what you tell me about Fasquelle. As your book [Lauris's novel, finally published by Grasset in 1910, Ginette Chatenay ] is "suitable" and you are connected with Calmann, Calmann seemed to me the obvious choice, but I believe Fasquelle is even better. Therefore, it would be perfect.