Translations:CP 02924/20/en
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
- ↑ Antoinette Faure, daughter of President Félix Faure, childhood friend of Marcel Proust, wife of René Berge, had three children, one of whom was Jacques Berge, killed in action 22 August 1914 (see his record in the military recruitment register, and in the database "Mémoire des hommes" [Memorial to the men]). In a letter to Georges de Lauris [about 10 March 1915] (see CP 02925; Kolb, XIV, no. 36), Proust mentions the circumstances of his friend Mme Berge who, "just eight days ago was officially informed by a friend from the Ministry [that her son] was a prisoner," official information that was shortly afterwards revealed to have been incorrect: "Due to a stupid mistake three hundred families have gone from mourning to joy and from joy to mourning that week." The reference to "that week" suggests that the letter to Lauris was written the following week. The addition inserted between the lines at this point in the letter to Eugénie Lémel shows the moment when the positive but incorrect news had been contradicted: therefore this letter must precede the one to Lauris by a few days. [PK, PW, FL]