– “I do not ask you, sir, if a man in the movement as you saw, the Mirlitons, the portrait of Machard that puts all of Paris. Well What do you say? Are you in the camp of those who approve of or in the camp of those who blame? In all rooms we only speak of the portrait of Machard, it is not chic, it is not pure, it is not on the train, if you do not give an opinion on the portrait of Machard. “

Swann having replied that he had not seen this portrait, Cottard was afraid of wounding by forcing him to confess.

– “Ah! that’s great, at least you admit frankly, you do not feel disgraced because you have not seen the portrait of Machard. I find it very nice to you. Well, I saw it, opinions are divided, there are some who find it a little slick, a little whipped cream, I find it ideal. Obviously it does not look like blue and yellow women of our friend Biche. But I must admit frankly, you will not find me very end of the century, but I say what I think, I do not understand. My God, I recognize that there are qualities in the portrait of my husband, it is less strange than it usually does, but he had to make him blue mustache. While Machard! Consider just the husband of the friend with whom I will now (which gives me great pleasure to sail with you) promised if appointed to the Academy (one of the colleagues doctor) to make him do his portrait by Machard. Obviously it’s a beautiful dream! I have another friend who says she prefers Leloir. I am a poor secular and Leloir may be even higher as a science. But I think the first quality of a portrait, especially when it costs 10,000 francs, and is to be like a nice resemblance. “