Venice
Whilst on a visit to Venice with his mother, Marcel receives a telegram bearing Albertine’s signature saying that she is alive, and “would love to see you, talk about marriage”. However, he is now quite indifferent and did not receive any joy. He realises he is no longer in love with her. The following morning he returns the opened telegram to the hotel porter saying that it had been brought to him by mistake and that it was not intended for him. He later discovers that it was actually from Gilberte, and that it was only the result of idioyncracies in the latter’s handwriting that her name appeared to be that of Albertine. “We guess as we read, we create; everything starts from an initial mistake. The mistakes that follow .. are all quite natural”.
The narrator enjoys walking around Venice and visiting Padua. He seeks to delay his mother’s departure so that he can meet Mme Putbus, but she refuses and heads of to the station with their belongings. He finally relents and hurries to the station in time for the train. On the return journey, he opens a letter from Gilberte saying that she is marrying Saint-Loup.