madame bovary-第9节

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And　the　shade　of　the　argand　lamp　fastened　to　the　wall　above
Emma's　head　lighted　up　all　these　pictures　of　the　world；　that
passed　before　her　one　by　one　in　the　silence　of　the　dormitory；　and
to　the　distant　noise　of　some　belated　carriage　rolling　over　the
Boulevards。

When　her　mother　died　she　cried　much　the　first　few　days。　She　had　a
funeral　picture　made　with　the　hair　of　the　deceased；　and；　in　a
letter　sent　to　the　Bertaux　full　of　sad　reflections　on　life；　she
asked　to　be　buried　later　on　in　the　same　grave。　The　goodman
thought　she　must　be　ill；　and　came　to　see　her。　Emma　was　secretly
pleased　that　she　had　reached　at　a　first　attempt　the　rare　ideal　of
pale　lives；　never　attained　by　mediocre　hearts。　She　let　herself
glide　along　with　Lamartine　meanderings；　listened　to　harps　on
lakes；　to　all　the　songs　of　dying　swans；　to　the　falling　of　the
leaves；　the　pure　virgins　ascending　to　heaven；　and　the　voice　of
the　Eternal　discoursing　down　the　valleys。　She　wearied　of　it；
would　not　confess　it；　continued　from　habit；　and　at　last　was
surprised　to　feel　herself　soothed；　and　with　no　more　sadness　at
heart　than　wrinkles　on　her　brow。

The　good　nuns；　who　had　been　so　sure　of　her　vocation；　perceived
with　great　astonishment　that　Mademoiselle　Rouault　seemed　to　be
slipping　from　them。　They　had　indeed　been　so　lavish　to　her　of
prayers；　retreats；　novenas；　and　sermons；　they　had　so　often
preached　the　respect　due　to　saints　and　martyrs；　and　given　so　much
good　advice　as　to　the　modesty　of　the　body　and　the　salvation　of
her　soul；　that　she　did　as　tightly　reined　horses；　she　pulled　up
short　and　the　bit　slipped　from　her　teeth。　This　nature；　positive
in　the　midst　of　its　enthusiasms；　that　had　loved　the　church　for
the　sake　of　the　flowers；　and　music　for　the　words　of　the　songs；
and　literature　for　its　passional　stimulus；　rebelled　against　the
mysteries　of　faith　as　it　grew　irritated　by　discipline；　a　thing
antipathetic　to　her　constitution。　When　her　father　took　her　from
school；　no　one　was　sorry　to　see　her　go。　The　Lady　Superior　even
thought　that　she　had　latterly　been　somewhat　irreverent　to　the
community。

Emma；　at　home　once　more；　first　took　pleasure　in　looking　after　the
servants；　then　grew　disgusted　with　the　country　and　missed　her
convent。　When　Charles　came　to　the　Bertaux　for　the　first　time；　she
thought　herself　quite　disillusioned；　with　nothing　more　to　learn；
and　nothing　more　to　feel。

But　the　uneasiness　of　her　new　position；　or　perhaps　the
disturbance　caused　by　the　presence　of　this　man；　had　sufficed　to
make　her　believe　that　she　at　last　felt　that　wondrous　passion
which；　till　then；　like　a　great　bird　with　rose…coloured　wings；
hung　in　the　splendour　of　the　skies　of　poesy；　and　now　she　could
not　think　that　the　calm　in　which　she　lived　was　the　happiness　she
had　dreamed。



Chapter　Seven

She　thought；　sometimes；　that；　after　all；　this　was　the　happiest
time　of　her　lifethe　honeymoon；　as　people　called　it。　To　taste
the　full　sweetness　of　it；　it　would　have　been　necessary　doubtless
to　fly　to　those　lands　with　sonorous　names　where　the　days　after
marriage　are　full　of　laziness　most　suave。　In　post　chaises　behind
blue　silken　curtains　to　ride　slowly　up　steep　road；　listening　to
the　song　of　the　postilion　re…echoed　by　the　mountains；　along　with
the　bells　of　goats　and　the　muffled　sound　of　a　waterfall；　at
sunset　on　the　shores　of　gulfs　to　breathe　in　the　perfume　of　lemon
trees；　then　in　the　evening　on　the　villa…terraces　above；　hand　in
hand　to　look　at　the　stars；　making　plans　for　the　future。　It　seemed
to　her　that　certain　places　on　earth　must　bring　happiness；　as　a
plant　peculiar　to　the　soil；　and　that　cannot　thrive　elsewhere。　Why
could　not　she　lean　over　balconies　in　Swiss　chalets；　or　enshrine
her　melancholy　in　a　Scotch　cottage；　with　a　husband　dressed　in　a
black　velvet　coat　with　long　tails；　and　thin　shoes；　a　pointed　hat
and　frills？　Perhaps　she　would　have　liked　to　confide　all　these
things　to　someone。　But　how　tell　an　undefinable　uneasiness；
variable　as　the　clouds；　unstable　as　the　winds？　Words　failed
herthe　opportunity；　the　courage。

If　Charles　had　but　wished　it；　if　he　had　guessed　it；　if　his　look
had　but　once　met　her　thought；　it　seemed　to　her　that　a　sudden
plenty　would　have　gone　out　from　her　heart；　as　the　fruit　falls
from　a　tree　when　shaken　by　a　hand。　But　as　the　intimacy　of　their
life　became　deeper；　the　greater　became　the　gulf　that　separated
her　from　him。

Charles's　conversation　was　commonplace　as　a　street　pavement；　and
everyone's　ideas　trooped　through　it　in　their　everyday　garb；
without　exciting　emotion；　laughter；　or　thought。　He　had　never　had
the　curiosity；　he　said；　while　he　lived　at　Rouen；　to　go　to　the
theatre　to　see　the　actors　from　Paris。　He　could　neither　swim；　nor
fence；　nor　shoot；　and　one　day　he　could　not　explain　some　term　of
horsemanship　to　her　that　she　had　come　across　in　a　novel。

A　man；　on　the　contrary；　should　he　not　know　everything；　excel　in
manifold　activities；　initiate　you　into　the　energies　of　passion；
the　refinements　of　life；　all　mysteries？　But　this　one　taught
nothing；　knew　nothing；　wished　nothing。　He　thought　her　happy；　and
she　resented　this　easy　calm；　this　serene　heaviness；　the　very
happiness　she　gave　him。

Sometimes　she　would　draw；　and　it　was　great　amusement　to　Charles
to　stand　there　bolt　upright　and　watch　her　bend　over　her
cardboard；　with　eyes　half…closed　the　better　to　see　her　work；　or
rolling；　between　her　fingers；　little　bread…pellets。　As　to　the
piano；　the　more　quickly　her　fingers　glided　over　it　the　more　he
wondered。　She　struck　the　notes　with　aplomb；　and　ran　from　top　to
bottom　of　the　keyboard　without　a　break。　Thus　shaken　up；　the　old
instrument；　whose　strings　buzzed；　could　be　heard　at　the　other　end
of　the　village　when　the　window　was　open；　and　often　the　bailiff's
clerk；　passing　along　the　highroad　bare…headed　and　in　list
slippers；　stopped　to　listen；　his　sheet　of　paper　in　his　hand。

Emma；　on　the　other　hand；　knew　how　to　look　after　her　house。　She
sent　the　patients'　accounts　in　well…phrased　letters　that　had　no
suggestion　of　a　bill。　When　they　had　a　neighbour　to　dinner　on
Sundays；　she　managed　to　have　some　tasty　dishpiled　up　pyramids
of　greengages　on　vine　leaves；　served　up　preserves　turned　out　into
platesand　even　spoke　of　buying　finger…glasses　for　dessert。　From
all　this　much　consideration　was　extended　to　Bovary。

Charles　finished　by　rising　in　his　own　esteem　for　possessing　such
a　wife。　He　showed　with　pride　in　the　sitting　room　two　small　pencil
sketched　by　her　that　he　had　had　framed　in　very　large　frames；　and
hung　up　against　the　wallpaper　by　long　green　cords。　People
returning　from　mass　saw　him　at　his　door　in　his　wool…work
slippers。

He　came　home　lateat　ten　o'clock；　at　midnight　sometimes。　Then　he
asked　for　something　to　eat；　and　as　the　servant　had　gone　to　bed；
Emma　waited　on　him。　He　took　off　his　coat　to　dine　more　at　his
ease。　He　told　her；　one　after　the　other；　the　people　he　had　met；
the　villages　where　he　had　been；　the　prescriptions　ha　had　written；
and；　well　　pleased　with　himself；　he　finished　the　remainder　of　the
boiled　beef　and　onions；　picked　pieces　off　the　cheese；　munched　an
apple；　emptied　his　water…bottle；　and　then　went　to　bed；　and　lay　on
his　back　and　snored。

As　he　had　been　for　a　time　accustomed　to　wear　nightcaps；　his
handkerchief　would　not　keep　down　over　his　ears；　so　that　his　hair
in　the　morning　was　all　tumbled　pell…mell　about　his　face　and
whitened　with　the　feathers　of　the　pillow；　whose　strings　came
untied　during　the　night。　He　always　wore　thick　boots　that　had　two
long　creases　over　the　instep　running　obliquely　towards　the　ankle；
while　the　rest　of　the　upper　continued　in　a　straight　line　as　if
stretched　on　a　wooden　foot。　He　said　that　〃was　quite　good　enough
for　the　country。〃

His　mother　approved　of　his　economy；　for　she　came　to　see　him　as
formerly　when　there　had　been　some　violent　row　at　her　place；　and
yet　Madame　Bovary　senior　seemed　prejudiced　against　her
daughter…in…law。　She　thought　〃her　ways　too　fine　for　their
position〃；　the　wood；　the　sugar；　and　the　candles　disappeared　as
〃at　a　grand　establishment；〃　and　the　amount　of　firing　in　the
kitchen　would　have　been　enough　for　twenty…five　courses。　She　put
her　linen　in　order　for　her　in　the　presses；　and　taught　her　to　keep
an　eye　on　the　butcher　when　he　brought　the　meat。　Emma　put　up　with
these　lessons。　Madame　Bovary　was　lavish　of　them；　and　the　words
〃daughter〃　and　〃mother〃　were　exchanged　all　day　long；　accompanied
by　little　quiverings　of　the　lips；　each　one　uttering　gentle　words
in　a　voice　trembling　with　anger。

In　Madame　Dubuc's　time　the　old　woman　felt　that　she　was　still　the
favorite；　but　now　the　love　of　Charles　for　Emma　seemed　to　her　a
desertion　from　her　tenderness；　an　encroachment　upon　what　was
hers；　and　she　watched　her　son's　happiness　in　sad　silence；　as　a
ruined　man　looks　through　the　windows　at　people　dining　in　his　old
house。　She　recalled　to　him　as　remembrances　her　troubles　and　her
sacrifices；　and；　comparing　these　with　Emma's　negligence；　came　to
the　conclusion　that　it　was　not　reasonable　to　adore　her　so
exclusively。

Charles　knew　not　what　to　answer：　he　respected　his　mother；　and　he
loved　his　wife　infinitely；　he　considered　the　judgment　of　the　one
infallible；　and　yet　he　thought　the　conduct　of　the　other
irreproachable。　When　Madam　Bovary　had　gone；　he　tri