madame bovary-第41节

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the　exact　measure　of　his　needs；　nor　of　his　conceptions；　nor　of
his　sorrows；　and　since　human　speech　is　like　a　cracked　tin　kettle；
on　which　we　hammer　out　tunes　to　make　tears　dance　when　we　long　to
move　the　stars。

But　with　that　superior　critical　judgment　that　belongs　to　him　who；
in　no　matter　what　circumstance；　holds　back；　Rodolphe　saw　other
delights　to　be　got　out　of　this　love。　He　thought　all　modesty　in
the　way。　He　treated　her　quite　sans　facon。*　He　made　of　her
something　supple　and　corrupt。　Hers　was　an　idiotic　sort　of
attachment；　full　of　admiration　for　him；　of　voluptuousness　for
her；　a　beatitude　that　benumbed　her；　her　soul　sank　into　this
drunkenness；　shrivelled　up；　drowned　in　it；　like　Clarence　in　his
butt　of　Malmsey。

*Off…handedly。


By　the　mere　effect　of　her　love　Madame　Bovary's　manners　changed。
Her　looks　grew　bolder；　her　speech　more　free；　she　even　committed
the　impropriety　of　walking　out　with　Monsieur　Rodolphe；　a
cigarette　in　her　mouth；　〃as　if　to　defy　the　people。〃　At　last；
those　who　still　doubted　doubted　no　longer　when　one　day　they　saw
her　getting　out　of　the　〃Hirondelle；〃　her　waist　squeezed　into　a
waistcoat　like　a　man；　and　Madame　Bovary　senior；　who；　after　a
fearful　scene　with　her　husband；　had　taken　refuge　at　her　son's；
was　not　the　least　scandalised　of　the　women…folk。　Many　other
things　displeased　her。　First；　Charles　had　not　attended　to　her
advice　about　the　forbidding　of　novels；　then　the　〃ways　of　the
house〃　annoyed　her；　she　allowed　herself　to　make　some　remarks；　and
there　were　quarrels；　especially　one　on　account　of　Felicite。

Madame　Bovary　senior；　the　evening　before；　passing　along　the
passage；　had　surprised　her　in　company　of　a　mana　man　with　a
brown　collar；　about　forty　years　old；　who；　at　the　sound　of　her
step；　had　quickly　escaped　through　the　kitchen。　Then　Emma　began　to
laugh；　but　the　good　lady　grew　angry；　declaring　that　unless　morals
were　to　be　laughed　at　one　ought　to　look　after　those　of　one's
servants。

〃Where　were　you　brought　up？〃　asked　the　daughter…in…law；　with　so
impertinent　a　look　that　Madame　Bovary　asked　her　if　she　were　not
perhaps　defending　her　own　case。

〃Leave　the　room！〃　said　the　young　woman；　springing　up　with　a
bound。

〃Emma！　Mamma！〃　cried　Charles；　trying　to　reconcile　them。

But　both　had　fled　in　their　exasperation。　Emma　was　stamping　her
feet　as　she　repeated

〃Oh！　what　manners！　What　a　peasant！〃

He　ran　to　his　mother；　she　was　beside　herself。　She　stammered

〃She　is　an　insolent；　giddy…headed　thing；　or　perhaps　worse！〃

And　she　was　for　leaving　at　once　if　the　other　did　not　apologise。
So　Charles　went　back　again　to　his　wife　and　implored　her　to　give
way；　he　knelt　to　her；　she　ended　by　saying

〃Very　well！　I'll　go　to　her。〃

And　in　fact　she　held　out　her　hand　to　her　mother…in…law　with　the
dignity　of　a　marchioness　as　she　said

〃Excuse　me；　madame。〃

Then；　having　gone　up　again　to　her　room；　she　threw　herself　flat　on
her　bed　and　cried　there　like　a　child；　her　face　buried　in　the
pillow。

She　and　Rodolphe　had　agreed　that　in　the　event　of　anything
extraordinary　occurring；　she　should　fasten　a　small　piece　of　white
paper　to　the　blind；　so　that　if　by　chance　he　happened　to　be　in
Yonville；　he　could　hurry　to　the　lane　behind　the　house。　Emma　made
the　signal；　she　had　been　waiting　three…quarters　of　an　hour　when
she　suddenly　caught　sight　of　Rodolphe　at　the　corner　of　the
market。　She　felt　tempted　to　open　the　window　and　call　him；　but　he
had　already　disappeared。　She　fell　back　in　despair。

Soon；　however；　it　seemed　to　her　that　someone　was　walking　on　the
pavement。　It　was　he；　no　doubt。　She　went　downstairs；　crossed　the
yard。　He　was　there　outside。　She　threw　herself　into　his　arms。

〃Do　take　care！〃　he　said。

〃Ah！　if　you　knew！〃　she　replied。

And　she　began　telling　him　everything；　hurriedly；　disjointedly；
exaggerating　the　facts；　inventing　many；　and　so　prodigal　of
parentheses　that　he　understood　nothing　of　it。

〃Come；　my　poor　angel；　courage！　Be　comforted！　be　patient！〃

〃But　I　have　been　patient；　I　have　suffered　for　four　years。　A　love
like　ours　ought　to　show　itself　in　the　face　of　heaven。　They
torture　me！　I　can　bear　it　no　longer！　Save　me！〃

She　clung　to　Rodolphe。　Her　eyes；　full　of　tears；　flashed　like
flames　beneath　a　wave；　her　breast　heaved；　he　had　never　loved　her
so　much；　so　that　he　lost　his　head　and　said　〃What　is；　it？　What　do
you　wish？〃

〃Take　me　away；〃　she　cried；　〃carry　me　off！　Oh；　I　pray　you！〃

And　she　threw　herself　upon　his　mouth；　as　if　to　seize　there　the
unexpected　consent　if　breathed　forth　in　a　kiss。

〃But〃　Rodolphe　resumed。

〃What？〃
　
〃Your　little　girl！〃
She　reflected　a　few　moments；　then　replied

〃We　will　take　her！　It　can't　be　helped！〃

〃What　a　woman！〃　he　said　to　himself；　watching　her　as　she　went。　For
she　had　run　into　the　garden。　Someone　was　calling　her。

On　the　following　days　Madame　Bovary　senior　was　much　surprised　at
the　change　in　her　daughter…in…law。　Emma；　in　fact；　was　showing
herself　more　docile；　and　even　carried　her　deference　so　far　as　to
ask　for　a　recipe　for　pickling　gherkins。

Was　it　the　better　to　deceive　them　both？　Or　did　she　wish　by　a　sort
of　voluptuous　stoicism　to　feel　the　more　profoundly　the　bitterness
of　the　things　she　was　about　to　leave？

But　she　paid　no　heed　to　them；　on　the　contrary；　she　lived　as　lost
in　the　anticipated　delight　of　her　coming　happiness。

It　was　an　eternal　subject　for　conversation　with　Rodolphe。　She
leant　on　his　shoulder　murmuring

〃Ah！　when　we　are　in　the　mail…coach！　Do　you　think　about　it？　Can　it
be？　It　seems　to　me　that　the　moment　I　feel　the　carriage　start；　it
will　be　as　if　we　were　rising　in　a　balloon；　as　if　we　were　setting
out　for　the　clouds。　Do　you　know　that　I　count　the　hours？　And　you？〃

Never　had　Madame　Bovary　been　so　beautiful　as　at　this　period；　she
had　that　indefinable　beauty　that　results　from　joy；　from
enthusiasm；　from　success；　and　that　is　only　the　harmony　of
temperament　with　circumstances。　Her　desires；　her　sorrows；　the
experience　of　pleasure；　and　her　ever…young　illusions；　that　had；
as　soil　and　rain　and　winds　and　the　sun　make　flowers　grow；
gradually　developed　her；　and　she　at　length　blossomed　forth　in　all
the　plenitude　of　her　nature。　Her　eyelids　seemed　chiselled
expressly　for　her　long　amorous　looks　in　which　the　pupil
disappeared；　while　a　strong　inspiration　expanded　her　delicate
nostrils　and　raised　the　fleshy　corner　of　her　lips；　shaded　in　the
light　by　a　little　black　down。　One　would　have　thought　that　an
artist　apt　in　conception　had　arranged　the　curls　of　hair　upon　her
neck；　they　fell　in　a　thick　mass；　negligently；　and　with　the
changing　chances　of　their　adultery；　that　unbound　them　every　day。
Her　voice　now　took　more　mellow　infections；　her　figure　also；
something　subtle　and　penetrating　escaped　even　from　the　folds　of
her　gown　and　from　the　line　of　her　foot。　Charles；　as　when　they
were　first　married；　thought　her　delicious　and　quite　irresistible。

When　he　came　home　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　he　did　not　dare　to
wake　her。　The　porcelain　night…light　threw　a　round　trembling　gleam
upon　the　ceiling；　and　the　drawn　curtains　of　the　little　cot　formed
as　it　were　a　white　hut　standing　out　in　the　shade；　and　by　the
bedside　Charles　looked　at　them。　He　seemed　to　hear　the　light
breathing　of　his　child。　She　would　grow　big　now；　every　season
would　bring　rapid　progress。　He　already　saw　her　coming　from　school
as　the　day　drew　in；　laughing；　with　ink…stains　on　her　jacket；　and
carrying　her　basket　on　her　arm。　Then　she　would　have　to　be　sent　to
the　boarding…school；　that　would　cost　much；　how　was　it　to　be　done？
Then　he　reflected。　He　thought　of　hiring　a　small　farm　in　the
neighbourhood；　that　he　would　superintend　every　morning　on　his　way
to　his　patients。　He　would　save　up　what　he　brought　in；　he　would
put　it　in　the　savings…bank。　Then　he　would　buy　shares　somewhere；
no　matter　where；　besides；　his　practice　would　increase；　he　counted
upon　that；　for　he　wanted　Berthe　to　be　well…educated；　to　be
accomplished；　to　learn　to　play　the　piano。　Ah！　how　pretty　she
would　be　later　on　when　she　was　fifteen；　when；　resembling　her
mother；　she　would；　like　her；　wear　large　straw　hats　in　the
summer…time；　from　a　distance　they　would　be　taken　for　two　sisters。
He　pictured　her　to　himself　working　in　the　evening　by　their　side
beneath　the　light　of　the　lamp；　she　would　embroider　him　slippers；
she　would　look　after　the　house；　she　would　fill　all　the　home　with
her　charm　and　her　gaiety。　At　last；　they　would　think　of　her
marriage；　they　would　find　her　some　good　young　fellow　with　a
steady　business；　he　would　make　her　happy；　this　would　last　for
ever。

Emma　was　not　asleep；　she　pretended　to　be；　and　while　he　dozed　off
by　her　side　she　awakened　to　other　dreams。

To　the　gallop　of　four　horses　she　was　carried　away　for　a　week
towards　a　new　land；　whence　they　would　return　no　more。　They　went
on　and　on；　their　arms　entwined；　without　a　word。　Often　from　the
top　of　a　mountain　there　suddenly　glimpsed　some　splendid　city　with
domes；　and　bridges；　and　ships；　forests　of　citron　trees；　and
cathedrals　of　white　marble；　on　whose　pointed　steeples　were
storks'　nests。　They　went　at　a　walking…pace　because　of　the　great
flag…stones；　and　on　the　ground　there　were　bouquets　of　flowers；
offered　you　by　women　dressed　in　red　bodices。　They　heard　the　
chiming　of　bells；　the　neighing　of　mules；　toget