It was true that she claimed to be fond of 'antiques,' and used to assume a rapturous and knowing air when she confessed how she loved to spend the whole day 'rummaging' in second-hand shops, hunting for 'bric-à-brac,' and things of the 'right date.' Although it was a point of honour, to which she obstinately clung, as though obeying some old family custom, that she should never answer any questions, never give any account of what she did during the daytime, she spoke to Swann once about a friend to whose house she had been invited, and had found that everything in it was 'of the period.' Swann could not get her to tell him what 'period' it was.
Noski, "zaharkinak" atsegin omen zitzaizkion, eta itxura liluratu eta limurtua agertzen ere bai esaterakoan, adibidez, biziki maite zuela egun osoa "tramankulu" artean, "pitxi" xerkan, "antigoaleko" gauzen bila ematea. Ohore-puntu moduko batean egoskorturik (eta nonbait, hartara, famili agindu bati-edo men egiten ziola, zirudienez), inoiz erantzuten ez bazien ere bere egunen erabilerari buruzko galderei, "konturik eman beharrik" ez zuela-eta, egun batean, ordea, bere laguntsa batek etxera gonbidatua zuela aipatu zion Swanni, eta harenean dena omen zela "garai batekoa". Baina Swannek lortu ez hark esaterik garai hura zein zen.