But when, on our way home, I had caught sight of a farm, on the left of the road, at some distance from two other farms which were themselves close together, and from which, to return to Combray, we need only turn down an avenue of oaks, bordered on one side by a series of orchard-closes, each one planted at regular intervals with apple-trees which cast upon the ground, when they were lighted by the setting sun, the Japanese stencil of their shadows; then, sharply, my heart would begin to beat, I would know that in half an hour we should be at home, and that there, as was the rule on days when we had taken the 'Guermantes way' and dinner was, in consequence, served later than usual, I should be sent to bed as soon as I had swallowed my soup, so that my mother, kept at table, just as though there had been company to dinner, would not come upstairs to say good night to me in bed.
Baina, itzulbidean, ezker aldera baserri hura ikusten nuenean, bata bestetik oso gertu zeudèn beste bi baserritatik aski bakandua, zeinetik aurrera Combrayn sartzeko haritz-etorbide bat besterik gelditzen ez baitzen, haritzok esparru txiki banatako hainbat pentzeren zedarri, eta beraien artean tarte berdintsutan sagarrondoak landaturik, arrastiriko eguzkiaren argitan beren itzalen marrazki japoniarra ageri, orduan, zakarki, nire bihotza taupaka hasten zen, bai bainekien ordu erdi barru baino lehen etxean izango ginela, eta, Guermantes aldera joanak ginèn egunetako ohiko arauaren arabera afaria beranduago zerbitzatuko zenez, oheratzera igorriko nindutela zopa zurrupatu orduko, eta beraz, ama, kanpoko jendea afaltiar genuenetan bezalaxe, ez zitzaidala gelara gabon ematera igoko.