I know what I'm in for. Tomorrow, when I want to get up-nothing doing!" If he was not going to play they talked, and one of the friends-usually the painter who was in favour there that year-would "spin," as M. Verdurin put it, "a damned funny yarn that made 'em all split with laughter," and especially Mme. Verdurin, for whom-so strong was her habit of taking literally the figurative accounts of her emotions-Dr. Cottard, who was then just starting in general practice, would "really have to come one day and set her jaw, which she had dislocated with laughing too much."
Badakit, bai, zer datorkidan! Bihar, jaiki nahi eta akabo, inork ezin izango dit lagundu!" Jotzen ez bazuen, solasaldia izaten zen, eta lagunetariko batek, gehienetan garai hartako beren pintore kuttunak, "largatzen zuen", M. Verdurinek zioen bezala, "xelebrekeria lizunen bat, mundu guztia barrez lehertzen jartzen zuena", Mme. Verdurin batez ere, zeinari behin-nabaritzen zituèn emozioen adierazpide metaforikoak benetakotzat hartzeko ohiturari hain emana izaki-Cottard doktoreak (hasiberri gaztetxoa orduan oraindik) baraila bere tokian berrezarri behar izan baitzion, barrearen barrez lokatua baitzitzaion.