madame bovary-第58节

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attorney　into　the　fire。

Emma　began　to　laugh；　a　strident；　piercing；　continuous　laugh；　she
had　an　attack　of　hysterics。

〃Oh；　my　God！〃　cried　Charles。　〃Ah！　you　really　are　wrong！　You　come
here　and　make　scenes　with　her！〃

His　mother；　shrugging　her　shoulders；　declared　it　was　〃all　put
on。〃

But　Charles；　rebelling　for　the　first　time；　took　his　wife's　part；
so　that　Madame　Bovary；　senior；　said　she　would　leave。　She　went　the
very　next　day；　and　on　the　threshold；　as　he　was　trying　to　detain
her；　she　replied

〃No；　no！　You　love　her　better　than　me；　and　you　are　right。　It　is
natural。　For　the　rest；　so　much　the　worse！　You　will　see。　Good
dayfor　I　am　not　likely　to　come　soon　again；　as　you　say；　to　make
scenes。〃

Charles　nevertheless　was　very　crestfallen　before　Emma；　who　did
not　hide　the　resentment　she　still　felt　at　his　want　of　confidence；
and　it　needed　many　prayers　before　she　would　consent　to　have
another　power　of　attorney。　He　even　accompanied　her　to　Monsieur
Guillaumin　to　have　a　second　one；　just　like　the　other；　drawn　up。

〃I　understand；〃　said　the　notary；　〃a　man　of　science　can't　be
worried　with　the　practical　details　of　life。〃

And　Charles　felt　relieved　by　this　comfortable　reflection；　which
gave　his　weakness　the　flattering　appearance　of　higher
pre…occupation。

And　what　an　outburst　the　next　Thursday　at　the　hotel　in　their　room
with　Leon！　She　laughed；　cried；　sang；　sent　for　sherbets；　wanted　to
smoke　cigarettes；　seemed　to　him　wild　and　extravagant；　but
adorable；　superb。

He　did　not　know　what　recreation　of　her　whole　being　drove　her　more
and　more　to　plunge　into　the　pleasures　of　life。　She　was　becoming
irritable；　greedy；　voluptuous；　and　she　walked　about　the　streets
with　him　carrying　her　head　high；　without　fear；　so　she　said；　of
compromising　herself。　At　times；　however；　Emma　shuddered　at　the
sudden　thought　of　meeting　Rodolphe；　for　it　seemed　to　her　that；
although　they　were　separated　forever；　she　was　not　completely　free
from　her　subjugation　to　him。

One　night　she　did　not　return　to　Yonville　at　all。　Charles　lost　his
head　with　anxiety；　and　little　Berthe　would　not　go　to　bed　without
her　mamma；　and　sobbed　enough　to　break　her　heart。　Justin　had　gone
out　searching　the　road　at　random。　Monsieur　Homais　even　had　left
his　pharmacy。

At　last；　at　eleven　o'clock；　able　to　bear　it　no　longer；　Charles
harnessed　his　chaise；　jumped　in；　whipped　up　his　horse；　and
reached　the　〃Croix…Rouge〃　about　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。　No
one　there！　He　thought　that　the　clerk　had　perhaps　seen　her；　but
where　did　he　live？　Happily；　Charles　remembered　his　employer's
address；　and　rushed　off　there。

Day　was　breaking；　and　he　could　distinguish　the　escutcheons　over
the　door；　and　knocked。　Someone；　without　opening　the　door；　shouted
out　the　required　information；　adding　a　few　insults　to　those　who
disturb　people　in　the　middle　of　the　night。

The　house　inhabited　by　the　clerk　had　neither　bell；　knocker；　nor
porter。　Charles　knocked　loudly　at　the　shutters　with　his　hands。　A
policeman　happened　to　pass　by。　Then　he　was　frightened；　and　went
away。

〃I　am　mad；〃　he　said；　〃no　doubt　they　kept　her　to　dinner　at
Monsieur　Lormeaux'。〃　But　the　Lormeaux　no　longer　lived　at　Rouen。

〃She　probably　stayed　to　look　after　Madame　Dubreuil。　Why；　Madame
Dubreuil　has　been　dead　these　ten　months！　Where　can　she　be？〃

An　idea　occurred　to　him。　At　a　cafe　he　asked　for　a　Directory；　and
hurriedly　looked　for　the　name　of　Mademoiselle　Lempereur；　who
lived　at　No。　74　Rue　de　la　Renelle…des…Maroquiniers。

As　he　was　turning　into　the　street；　Emma　herself　appeared　at　the
other　end　of　it。　He　threw　himself　upon　her　rather　than　embraced
her；　crying

〃What　kept　you　yesterday？〃

〃I　was　not　well。〃

〃What　was　it？　Where？　How？〃

She　passed　her　hand　over　her　forehead　and　answered；　〃At
Mademoiselle　Lempereur's。〃

〃I　was　sure　of　it！　I　was　going　there。〃

〃Oh；　it　isn't　worth　while；〃　said　Emma。　〃She　went　out　just　now；
but　for　the　future　don't　worry。　I　do　not　feel　free；　you　see；　if　I
know　that　the　least　delay　upsets　you　like　this。〃

This　was　a　sort　of　permission　that　she　gave　herself；　so　as　to　get
perfect　freedom　in　her　escapades。　And　she　profited　by　it　freely；
fully。　When　she　was　seized　with　the　desire　to　see　Leon；　she　set
out　upon　any　pretext；　and　as　he　was　not　expecting　her　on　that
day；　she　went　to　fetch　him　at　his　office。

It　was　a　great　delight　at　first；　but　soon　he　no　longer　concealed
the　truth；　which　was；　that　his　master　complained　very　much　about
these　interruptions。

〃Pshaw！　come　along；〃　she　said。

And　he　slipped　out。

She　wanted　him　to　dress　all　in　black；　and　grow　a　pointed　beard；
to　look　like　the　portraits　of　Louis　XIII。　She　wanted　to　see　his
lodgings；　thought　them　poor。　He　blushed　at　them；　but　she　did　not
notice　this；　then　advised　him　to　buy　some　curtains　like　hers；　and
as　he　objected　to　the　expense

〃Ah！　ah！　you　care　for　your　money；〃　she　said　laughing。

Each　time　Leon　had　to　tell　her　everything　that　he　had　done　since
their　last　meeting。　She　asked　him　for　some　versessome　verses
〃for　herself；〃　a　〃love　poem〃　in　honour　of　her。　But　he　never
succeeded　in　getting　a　rhyme　for　the　second　verse；　and　at　last
ended　by　copying　a　sonnet　in　a　〃Keepsake。〃　This　was　less　from
vanity　than　from　the　one　desire　of　pleasing　her。　He　did　not
question　her　ideas；　he　accepted　all　her　tastes；　he　was　rather
becoming　her　mistress　than　she　his。　She　had　tender　words　and
kisses　that　thrilled　his　soul。　Where　could　she　have　learnt　this
corruption　almost　incorporeal　in　the　strength　of　its　profanity
and　dissimulation？



Chapter　Six

During　the　journeys　he　made　to　see　her；　Leon　had　often　dined　at
the　chemist's；　and　he　felt　obliged　from　politeness　to　invite　him
in　turn。

〃With　pleasure！〃　Monsieur　Homais　replied；　〃besides；　I　must
invigorate　my　mind；　for　I　am　getting　rusty　here。　We'll　go　to　the
theatre；　to　the　restaurant；　we'll　make　a　night　of　it。〃

〃Oh；　my　dear！〃　tenderly　murmured　Madame　Homais；　alarmed　at　the
vague　perils　he　was　preparing　to　brave。

〃Well；　what？　Do　you　think　I'm　not　sufficiently　ruining　my　health
living　here　amid　the　continual　emanations　of　the　pharmacy？　But
there！　that　is　the　way　with　women！　They　are　jealous　of　science；
and　then　are　opposed　to　our　taking　the　most　legitimate
distractions。　No　matter！　Count　upon　me。　One　of　these　days　I　shall
turn　up　at　Rouen；　and　we'll　go　the　pace　together。〃

The　druggist　would　formerly　have　taken　good　care　not　to　use　such
an　expression；　but　he　was　cultivating　a　gay　Parisian　style；　which
he　thought　in　the　best　taste；　and；　like　his　neighbour；　Madame
Bovary；　he　questioned　the　clerk　curiously　about　the　customs　of
the　capital；　he　even　talked　slang　to　dazzle　the　bourgeois；　saying
bender；　crummy；　dandy；　macaroni；　the　cheese；　cut　my　stick　and
〃I'll　hook　it；〃　for　〃I　am　going。〃

So　one　Thursday　Emma　was　surprised　to　meet　Monsieur　Homais　in　the
kitchen　of　the　〃Lion　d'Or；〃　wearing　a　traveller's　costume；　that
is　to　say；　wrapped　in　an　old　cloak　which　no　one　knew　he　had；
while　he　carried　a　valise　in　one　hand　and　the　foot…warmer　of　his
establishment　in　the　other。　He　had　confided　his　intentions　to　no
one；　for　fear　of　causing　the　public　anxiety　by　his　absence。

The　idea　of　seeing　again　the　place　where　his　youth　had　been　spent
no　doubt　excited　him；　for　during　the　whole　journey　he　never
ceased　talking；　and　as　soon　as　he　had　arrived；　he　jumped　quickly
out　of　the　diligence　to　go　in　search　of　Leon。　In　vain　the　clerk
tried　to　get　rid　of　him。　Monsieur　Homais　dragged　him　off　to　the
large　Cafe　de　la　Normandie；　which　he　entered　majestically；　not
raising　his　hat；　thinking　it　very　provincial　to　uncover　in　any
public　place。

Emma　waited　for　Leon　three　quarters　of　an　hour。　At　last　she　ran
to　his　office；　and；　lost　in　all　sorts　of　conjectures；　accusing
him　of　indifference；　and　reproaching　herself　for　her　weakness；
she　spent　the　afternoon；　her　face　pressed　against　the
window…panes。

At　two　o'clock　they　were　still　at　a　table　opposite　each　other。
The　large　room　was　emptying；　the　stove…pipe；　in　the　shape　of　a
palm…tree；　spread　its　gilt　leaves　over　the　white　ceiling；　and
near　them；　outside　the　window；　in　the　bright　sunshine；　a　little
fountain　gurgled　in　a　white　basin；　where；　in　the　midst　of
watercress　and　asparagus；　three　torpid　lobsters　stretched　across
to　some　quails　that　lay　heaped　up　in　a　pile　on　their　sides。

Homais　was　enjoying　himself。　Although　he　was　even　more
intoxicated　with　the　luxury　than　the　rich　fare；　the　Pommard　wine
all　the　same　rather　excited　his　faculties；　and　when　the　omelette
au　rhum*　appeared；　he　began　propounding　immoral　theories　about
women。　What　seduced　him　above　all　else　was　chic。　He　admired　an
elegant　toilette　in　a　well…furnished　apartment；　and　as　to　bodily
qualities；　he　didn't　dislike　a　young　girl。

*　In　rum。


Leon　watched　the　clock　in　despair。　The　druggist　went　on　drinking；
eating；　and　talking。

〃You　must　be　very　lonely；〃　he　said　suddenly；　〃here　at　Rouen。　To
be　sure　your　lady…love　doesn't　live　far　away。〃

And　the　other　blushed

〃Come　now；　be　frank。　Can　you　deny　that　at　Yonville〃

The　young　man　stammered　something。

〃At　Madame　Bovary's；　you're　not　making　love　to〃

〃To　whom？〃

〃The　servant！〃

He　was　not　joking；　but　vanity　getting　the　better　of　all　prudence；
Leon；　in　spit