The Year of Reading Proust discussion

Hello everyone.
I'm looking for a quote from Proust, and I'm pretty sure it is from "Swann's way". It's about the notion, that Swann has, that there is only so much influence he can have because of his social position, which means that he can't use it everytime he wants because it's like spending money - some time it will end.

Something along these lines. I'm sure I read it but I can't seem to find the exact words to look for in my ebook. Any ideas?

Thanks :)

No, I think it's the Prince or Princesse des Laumes (the future Duc & Duchesse de Guermantes). And I think, now that I do think, it's in "The Guermantes Way." I made a comment on it when the group was reading it; about the link between capitalism & compassion being so messed up. The Duc (and I do think it was him) regards any favors people owe him as "capital" (in the financial sense) and he does not want to spend this "capital" until he really needs it; i.e. for himself and not for someone else. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your reply.

Could you perhaps come up with an exact quote and/or with its location? In french it would be just as good :)

I tried searching for "credit" in my english ebook of "The Guermantes' way" (Moncrieff translation), but couldn't find what I was looking for.

I'm going crazy. I love quoting and remembering quotes, and not being able to do it eats my brain :D

Not sure this is the passage, because it isn't Swann, but thought I would offer...

"In this way, playing both ends against the middle, what in stage parlance is known as 'doubling' two parts, he (Norpois) never allowed his influence to be in the slightest degree imperilled, and the services which he rendered constituted not an expenditure of capital but a dividend upon some part of his credit. At the same time every service, seemingly rendered twice over, correspondingly enhanced his reputation as an obliging friend, whose interventions were efficacious, one who did not simply beat the air, whose efforts were always justified by success, as was shown by the gratitude of both parties. This duplicity in obligingness was—allowing for disappointments such as are the lot of every human being—an important element in M. de Norpois’s character." MP (WBG)

I think it's what Elizabeth said, though the topic is similar.

Tanks to you too :)

Passavo wrote: "I think it's what Elizabeth said, though the topic is similar.

Tanks to you too :)"

Still looking for Swann and "because it's like spending money - some time it will end."

Mme. Villeparisis
"And indeed at such moments as this she was not natural; her mind reverted to her early training, to the aristocratic manner in which a great lady is supposed to show commoners that she is glad to be with them, that she is not at all arrogant. And here one and only failure in true politeness lay in this excess of politeness— which it was easy to identify as the professional bent of a lady of the Faubourg Saint-Germain, who, always seeing in her humbler friends the latent discontent that she must one day arouse in their bosoms,

greedily seizes every possible opportunity to establish in advance, in the ledger in which she keeps her social account with them, a credit balance which will enable her presently to enter on the debit side the dinner or reception to which she will not invite them." MP (WBG)

Try Mme de St-Euverte's party in "Swann's Way." Or it might be...no, I'm stumped. good luck.