Chapter XIII, where Adele finds time to answer Proust's questionnaire

The funny thing about answering this is that I will be exposing myself in a way I almost never allow myself to. I hope I won't scare you away, James.

Your favorite virtue: I'd have to say honesty and loyalty. Although none of them are any good if sense of humor lacks.
Your favorite qualities in a man: they're warm and their arms are perfect to hold us.
Your favorite qualities in a woman: the ability to make men understand the matters of their hearts and to offer comfort even though one's never actually asked for it.
What you appreciate most about your friends: They don't call me night and day, despite of the fact they know they sure can do that. They love to hug me.
Your principal fault: I'm pedant. And I can be pretty mean if I dislike someone. Mean in the sense that I'll point out one's faults in a way that would make one wish they would never see me again. I worry about not being liked. I just don't know how to ignore people.
Your favorite occupation: knitting and reading; taking long walks to observe people on the streets, eavesdropping their conversations. I like to read menus in detail. And blow the smoke that goes up of hot coffee and smell it and holding the mug with my two hands. I love having ice cream in the summer.
Your chief characteristic: I'm a good listener. And a keen observer of what happens around me.
Your idea of happiness: A nice house with a fireplace and a nice couch in front of it where I could rest during the winter. Lots of books and long play records and my favorite people coming by to share meals with me. There would be a rug in the front door saying welcome and that's how people would feel instantly.
Your idea of misery: Not being able to ask for help.
How would you like to be? Me, but prettier and wiser. I'd like to be one of those women who wear dresses with flowers on them and look great.
Your favorite color: Blue. It's also my double's favorite one. I love yellow too. Like sunshine yellow, only a little bit pale.
Your favorite bird: Would I sound cheesy if I said humming bird?
If not yourself, who would you be? I'll let this one to be answered when I die and meet God. I'm sure he'll ask me that and I'll come back to Earth.
Where would you like to live? I guess I covered that. But let's say anywhere I feel at home.
Your favorite prose authors: Charles Dickens, Paul Auster, Douglas Coupland, Nick Hornby, Douglas Adams, Alain de Botton.
Your favorite poets: Walt Whitman and Sylvia Plath. There are probably more, I'll have to think about it.
Your favorite painters and composers: Van Gogh, Mozart, Debussy and Chopin.
Your favorite heroes in real life: I don't think I have one.
Your favorite heroines in real life: Same here.
Your favorite heroes in fiction: Wow. Pip. I love Pip. I love the fact he's not perfect. He's not really a hero, but you get the idea. And I love the butler in Remains of the Days. Not much of a hero too.
Your favorite heroines in fiction: Will characters from movies do? Amelie Poulain. I wish I was just like her.Your favorite names: I like my double's name, although I can't tell you what it is. What? And spoil all the fun?
What characters in history do you most dislike: Skipping this one; it's kind of obvious.
How would you want to die? Peacefully, comfortably, holding hands with someone I love and singing.
What is your present state of mind: I'm calm and relaxed.
For what fault have you the most toleration: I don't.
The flower you like best: magnolias, I'd have to say. I also like a cactus's flower that only blooms once a year, during the night and has this perfume that could you make you want to stay awake all night. The flower blooms slowly and you can watch it forever. It makes you wanna die right there.

I know I haven't copied it here before, but there's actually one more question.
Your favorite quotation: 'I wish I had a river I could skate away on.'

Oh, and James, will you answer the same questions?