CP 05634/en
Marcel Proust to Gaston Gallimard [between 12 and 14 October 1917]
(Click on the link above to see this letter and its notes in the Corr-Proust digital edition, including all relevant hyperlinks.)
Dear friend
Here is the end of my manuscript, plus the corrected proofs from 1 to 183. It is composed, as you can see, of a large notebook, and a thin notebook. As the thin notebook has been torn out of a larger one and with difficulty sewn back together, I believe it to be a bit fragile. As for the material state (I am only talking about that in this letter) of the pages of these notebooks, I believe those of the thin one to be much less sick than those of the thick one, which will undoubtedly need the exceptional care of the chartist of your typist[2]. The corrected proofs are brought to you with the manuscript[3]. Your printer reads my handwriting in a confusing way. On the other hand, when he has to do with Grasset's print, he changes and skips words, sentences. The characters will not be as fine as on the proofs, won’t they, because that would be illegible. I am at your orders for Grasset[4]. Nevertheless, given that I am at the moment in a rather ill-defined position with him, as you know, and that he is only looking for a pretext to modify things, I think it would be better not to give him cause to do so by making me write to him, and it seems to me that on this inessential issue, which is self-evident, it would be quite natural for you to write to him: "Now that I have become the publisher of Mr. Proust, I wish to buy you out, with his agreement, etc."[5]. Besides, he holds the N.R.F. in high regard. I have not yet received a reply from Montesquiou. Perhaps your friend went to his house with my letter. If he was well received, tell me so that I can thank Montesquiou. I found that your new (shaven) face suits you admirably. I like you in all aspects but this one seemed very pleasant to me. Dear friend, out of discretion, out of lack of strength, out of fear of abusing yours, I have not spoken to you in this letter about the thing I am thinking about the most, your trip (which I learned of quite recently and by chance[6]) and the effect it may have on your health.
Quant à Grasset plus j’y pense, plus mon idée (à laquelle je suis tout prêt à renoncer) me semble avantageuse. Dès que vous allez être parti, je serai livré à ses sollicitations, et bien entendu je n’y cèderai pas. Mais en lui écrivant, vous éditeur, et éditeur respecté de lui, vous coupez les ponts. Je crois que ce serait mieux.
Bien affectueusement à vous cher ami,
Marcel Proust
Dernière minute : J’apprends que Madame Lemarié (du moins je suppose que c’est elle) est venue pendant que Céleste qui ne sort jamais, était allée chez sa belle-soeur rue Laffitte. Je ne peux vous dire ma tristesse, si c’était Madame Lemarié[7]. Je ne retarde pas l’expédition des épreuves que vous me faites dire « très pressées »[8] en prolongeant ce mot.
Il y a dans ces épreuves, il y aura dans les autres, certaines pages (pour les quatre volumes peut-être quatre ou cinq pages) dont je ne peux pas savoir avant d’avoir tout corrigé si elles n’émigreront pas dans une autre partie. D’une part dans un ouvrage aussi long, un morceau risque d’avoir été placé deux fois et comme mon livre n’est pas une Iliade, ces redites seraient inexcusables. D’autre part il y a une question d’équilibre que je n’ apercevrai qu’une fois l’ensemble vu. Mais je crois que ces transferts même s’ils se produisent n’entraîneront pas l’interchangement de plus de cinq ou six pages[9].
Je vous avais dit que dans mes épreuves corrigées il n’y avait qu’un bis, il y en a deux ou trois, et même un ter, le 152ter dont la petite déchirure ne signifie rien.