madame bovary(包法利夫人)-第36节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


them　they　heard　the　river　flowing；　and　now　and　again　on　the　bank
the　rustling　of　the　dry　reeds。　Masses　of　shadow　here　and　there
loomed　out　in　the　darkness；　and　sometimes；　vibrating　with　one
movement；　they　rose　up　and　swayed　like　immense　black　waves
pressing　forward　to　engulf　them。　The　cold　of　the　nights　made　them
clasp　closer；　the　sighs　of　their　lips　seemed　to　them　deeper；
their　eyes　that　they　could　hardly　see；　larger；　and　in　the　midst
of　the　silence　low　words　were　spoken　that　fell　on　their　souls
sonorous；　crystalline；　and　that　reverberated　in　multiplied
vibrations。
When　the　night　was　rainy；　they　took　refuge　in　the　consulting…room
between　the　cart…shed　and　the　stable。　She　lighted　one　of　the
kitchen　candles　that　she　had　hidden　behind　the　books。　Rodolphe
settled　down　there　as　if　at　home。　The　sight　of　the　library；　of
the　bureau；　of　the　whole　apartment；　in　fine；　excited　his
merriment；　and　he　could　not　refrain　from　making　jokes　about
Charles；　which　rather　embarrassed　Emma。　She　would　have　liked　to
see　him　more　serious；　and　even　on　occasions　more　dramatic；　as；
for　example；　when　she　thought　she　heard　a　noise　of　approaching
steps　in　the　alley。
〃Someone　is　coming！〃　she　said。
He　blew　out　the　light。
〃Have　you　your　pistols？〃
〃Why？〃
〃Why；　to　defend　yourself；〃　replied　Emma。
〃From　your　husband？　Oh；　poor　devil！〃　And　Rodolphe　finished　his
sentence　with　a　gesture　that　said；　〃I　could　crush　him　with　a
flip　of　my　finger。〃
She　was　wonder…stricken　at　his　bravery；　although　she　felt　in　it　a
sort　of　indecency　and　a　naive　coarseness　that　scandalised　her。
Rodolphe　reflected　a　good　deal　on　the　affair　of　the　pistols。　If
she　had　spoken　seriously；　it　was　very　ridiculous；　he　thought；
even　odious；　for　he　had　no　reason　to　hate　the　good　Charles；　not
being　what　is　called　devoured　by　jealousy；　and　on　this　subject
Emma　had　taken　a　great　vow　that　he　did　not　think　in　the　best　of
taste。
Besides；　she　was　growing　very　sentimental。　She　had　insisted　on
exchanging　miniatures；　they　had　cut　off　handfuls　of　hair；　and　now
she　was　asking　for　a　ringa　real　wedding…ring；　in　sign　of　an
eternal　union。　She　often　spoke　to　him　of　the　evening　chimes；　of
the　voices　of　nature。　Then　she　talked　to　him　of　her　motherhers！
and　of　his　motherhis！　Rodolphe　had　lost　his　twenty　years　ago。
Emma　none　the　less　consoled　him　with　caressing　words　as　one　would
have　done　a　lost　child；　and　she　sometimes　even　said　to　him；
gazing　at　the　moon
〃I　am　sure　that　above　there　together　they　approve　of　our　love。〃
But　she　was　so　pretty。　He　had　possessed　so　few　women　of　such
ingenuousness。　This　love　without　debauchery　was　a　new　experience
for　him；　and；　drawing　him　out　of　his　lazy　habits；　caressed　at
once　his　pride　and　his　sensuality。　Emma's　enthusiasm；　which　his
bourgeois　good　sense　disdained；　seemed　to　him　in　his　heart　of
hearts　charming；　since　it　was　lavished　on　him。　Then；　sure　of
being　loved；　he　no　longer　kept　up　appearances；　and　insensibly　his
ways　changed。
He　had　no　longer；　as　formerly；　words　so　gentle　that　they　made　her
cry；　nor　passionate　caresses　that　made　her　mad；　so　that　their
great　love；　which　engrossed　her　life；　seemed　to　lessen　beneath
her　like　the　water　of　a　stream　absorbed　into　its　channel；　and　she
could　see　the　bed　of　it。　She　would　not　believe　it；　she　redoubled
in　tenderness；　and　Rodolphe　concealed　his　indifference　less　and
less。
She　did　not　know　if　she　regretted　having　yielded　to　him；　or
whether　she　did　not　wish；　on　the　contrary；　to　enjoy　him　the　more。
The　humiliation　of　feeling　herself　weak　was　turning　to　rancour；
tempered　by　their　voluptuous　pleasures。　It　was　not　affection；　it
was　like　a　continual　seduction。　He　subjugated　her；　she　almost
feared　him。
Appearances；　nevertheless；　were　calmer　than　ever；　Rodolphe　having
succeeded　in　carrying　out　the　adultery　after　his　own　fancy；　and
at　the　end　of　six　months；　when　the　spring…time　came；　they　were　to
one　another　like　a　married　couple；　tranquilly　keeping　up　a
domestic　flame。
It　was　the　time　of　year　when　old　Rouault　sent　his　turkey　in
remembrance　of　the　setting　of　his　leg。　The　present　always　arrived
with　a　letter。　Emma　cut　the　string　that　tied　it　to　the　basket；
and　read　the　following　lines：
〃My　Dear　ChildrenI　hope　this　will　find　you　well；　and　that　this
one　will　be　as　good　as　the　others。　For　it　seems　to　me　a　little
more　tender；　if　I　may　venture　to　say　so；　and　heavier。　But　next
time；　for　a　change；　I'll　give　you　a　turkeycock；　unless　you　have　a
preference　for　some　dabs；　and　send　me　back　the　hamper；　if　you
please；　with　the　two　old　ones。　I　have　had　an　accident　with　my
cart…sheds；　whose　covering　flew　off　one　windy　night　among　the
trees。　The　harvest　has　not　been　overgood　either。　Finally；　I　don't
know　when　I　shall　come　to　see　you。　It　is　so　difficult　now　to
leave　the　house　since　I　am　alone；　my　poor　Emma。〃
Here　there　was　a　break　in　the　lines；　as　if　the　old　fellow　had
dropped　his　pen　to　dream　a　little　while。
〃For　myself；　I　am　very　well；　except　for　a　cold　I　caught　the　other
day　at　the　fair　at　Yvetot；　where　I　had　gone　to　hire　a　shepherd；
having　turned　away　mine　because　he　was　too　dainty。　How　we　are　to
be　pitied　with　such　a　lot　of　thieves！　Besides；　he　was　also　rude。
I　heard　from　a　pedlar；　who；　travelling　through　your　part　of　the
country　this　winter；　had　a　tooth　drawn；　that　Bovary　was　as　usual
working　hard。　That　doesn't　surprise　me；　and　he　showed　me　his
tooth；　we　had　some　coffee　together。　I　asked　him　if　he　had　seen
you；　and　he　said　not；　but　that　he　had　seen　two　horses　in　the
stables；　from　which　I　conclude　that　business　is　looking　up。　So
much　the　better；　my　dear　children；　and　may　God　send　you　every
imaginable　happiness！　It　grieves　me　not　yet　to　have　seen　my　dear
little　grand…daughter；　Berthe　Bovary。　I　have　planted　an　Orleans
plum…tree　for　her　in　the　garden　under　your　room；　and　I　won't　have
it　touched　unless　it　is　to　have　jam　made　for　her　by　and　bye；　that
I　will　keep　in　the　cupboard　for　her　when　she　comes。
〃Good…bye；　my　dear　children。　I　kiss　you；　my　girl；　you　too；　my
son…in…law；　and　the　little　one　on　both　cheeks。　I　am；　with　best
compliments；　your　loving　father。
〃Theodore　Rouault。〃
She　held　the　coarse　paper　in　her　fingers　for　some　minutes。　The
spelling　mistakes　were　interwoven　one　with　the　other；　and　Emma
followed　the　kindly　thought　that　cackled　right　through　it　like　a
hen　half　hidden　in　the　hedge　of　thorns。　The　writing　had　been
dried　with　ashes　from　the　hearth；　for　a　little　grey　powder
slipped　from　the　letter　on　to　her　dress；　and　she　almost　thought
she　saw　her　father　bending　over　the　hearth　to　take　up　the　tongs。
How　long　since　she　had　been　with　him；　sitting　on　the　footstool　in
the　chimney…corner；　where　she　used　to　burn　the　end　of　a　bit　of
wood　in　the　great　flame　of　the　sea…sedges！　She　remembered　the
summer　evenings　all　full　of　sunshine。　The　colts　neighed　when
anyone　passed　by；　and　galloped；　galloped。　Under　her　window　there
was　a　beehive；　and　sometimes　the　bees　wheeling　round　in　the　light
struck　against　her　window　like　rebounding　balls　of　gold。　What
happiness　there　had　been　at　that　time；　what　freedom；　what　hope！
What　an　abundance　of　illusions！　Nothing　was　left　of　them　now。　She
had　got　rid　of　them　all　in　her　soul's　life；　in　all　her　successive
conditions　of　lifemaidenhood；　her　marriage；　and　her　lovethus
constantly　losing　them　all　her　life　through；　like　a　traveller　who
leaves　something　of　his　wealth　at　every　inn　along　his　road。
But　what　then；　made　her　so　unhappy？　What　was　the　extraordinary
catastrophe　that　had　transformed　her？　And　she　raised　her　head；
looking　round　as　if　to　seek　the　cause　of　that　which　made　her
suffer。
An　April　ray　was　dancing　on　the　china　of　the　whatnot；　the　fire
burned；　beneath　her　slippers　she　felt　the　softness　of　the　carpet；
the　day　was　bright；　the　air　warm；　and　she　heard　her　child
shouting　with　laughter。
In　fact；　the　little　girl　was　just　then　rolling　on　the　lawn　in　the
midst　of　the　grass　that　was　being　turned。　She　was　lying　flat　on
her　stomach　at　the　top　of　a　rick。　The　servant　was　holding　her　by
her　skirt。　Lestiboudois　was　raking　by　her　side；　and　every　time　he
came　near　she　lent　forward；　beating　the　air　with　both　her　arms。
〃Bring　her　to　me；〃　said　her　mother；　rushing　to　embrace　her。　〃How
I　love　you；　my　poor　child！　How　I　love　you！〃
Then　noticing　that　the　tips　of　her　ears　were　rather　dirty；　she
rang　at　once　for　warm　water；　and　washed　her；　changed　her　linen；
her　stockings；　her　shoes；　asked　a　thousand　questions　about　her
health；　as　if　on　the　return　from　a　long　journey；　and　finally；
kissing　her　again　and　crying　a　little；　she　gave　her　back　to　the
servant；　who　stood　quite　thunderstricken　at　this　excess　of
tenderness。
That　evening　Rodolphe　found　her　more　serious　than　usual。
〃That　will　pass　over；〃　he　concluded；　〃it's　a　whim：〃
And　he　missed　three　rendezvous　running。　When　he　did　come；　she
showed　herself　cold　and　almost　contemptuous。
〃Ah！　you're　losing　your　time；　my　lady！〃
And　he　pretended　not　to　notice　her　melancholy　sighs；　nor　the
handkerchief　she　took　out。
Then　Emma　repented。　She　even　asked　herself　why　she　detested
Charles；　if　it　had　not　been　better　to　have　been　able　to　love　him？
But　he　gave　her　no　opportunities　for　such　a　revival　of　sentiment；
so　that　she　was　much　embarrassed　by　her　desire　for　sacrifice；
when　the　druggist　cam