"), none of them seemed ever to have asked himself these
questions, for none of them was able to reply.
Even to one or two particular remarks made by Swann on his favourite
phrase, "D'you know, that's a funny thing; I had never noticed it; I may
as well tell you that I don't much care about peering at things through a
microscope, and pricking myself on pin-points of difference; no; we don't
waste time splitting hairs in this house; why not? well, it's not a habit
of ours, that's all," Mme. Verdurin replied, while Dr. Cottard gazed at
her with open-mouthed admiration, and yearned to be able to follow her as
she skipped lightly from one stepping-stone to another of her stock of
ready-made phrases. Both he, however, and Mme. Cottard, with a kind of
common sense which is shared by many people of humble origin, would always
take care not to express an opinion, or to pretend to admire a piece of
music which they would confess to each other, once they were safely at
home, that they no more understood than they could understand the art of
'Master' Biche. Inasmuch as the public cannot recognise the charm, the
beauty, even the outlines of nature save in the stereotyped impressions of
an art which they have gradually assimilated, while an original artist
starts by rejecting those impressions, so M.
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