“If you write to me, could you possibly seal your letter? Or if not, don’t mention the book, because I don’t want my servants to get to know all about that.”

♦

“I enclose with this letter some unpublished pages extracted from my forthcoming book which I should very much like to see appear in your review.”

♦

“The story is so well-known that the name of the fiancé will be obvious if I tell you that the lady in question is Madam Bischoffsheim…”

♦

“I should be most grateful if you would read this letter to the end, destroy it or send it back to me, and not breathe a word of it to anyone whatsoever.”

♦

“It was very nice of you to write to me about your marriage; it would have been nicer still if you had invited me to it.”

♦

“I send you herewith, in very inelegant form and on the paper which I use to light my anti-asthmatic powders—all that I have to hand—my warmest and most sincere congratulations on your wonderful prize.”

♦

“Although you abandon me I often look at your little face and think and think.”

♦

“I telephoned you last night at the Gil Blas.”

♦

“I’m already behindhand in thanking you for your beautiful letter and now I receive three cards.”

♦

“I should be infinitely grateful if you could tell me whether, in your opinion, this contract prevents me legally (without risk of a lawsuit, etc.) from publishing my second volume with another publisher.”

♦

“Thank you very much for your letter—one sentence was ravishing (crepuscular, etc.)…”

♦

“I’m genuinely sorry to keep bothering you, especially if you are still on holiday and would no doubt prefer to forget for a while that there is such a thing as a stock exchange.”

♦

“I should have preferred to tell you this in person.”

♦

“You said you would write to me, you have written to me, and I am amazed.”

♦

Opening lines to various letters, from Marcel Proust: Selected Letters, Volume Three, 1910 – 1917.