Within A Budding Grove

'Within A Budding Grove', also known as 'In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower', is the second part of Marcel Proust's seminal work, 'In Search of Lost Time'. In this book, the Narrator's parents invite M. de Norpois, a diplomat colleague of the Narrator's father, to dinner. With Norpois's intervention, the Narrator is finally allowed to go and see Berma perform in a play, but is disappointed by her acting. Afterwards, at dinner, he watches Norpois, who is extremely diplomatic and correct at all times, expound on society and art. The Narrator gives him a draft of his writing, but Norpois gently indicates it is not good. The Narrator continues to go to the Champs-Élysées and play with Gilberte.