madame bovary(包法利夫人)-第51章

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at　Mary's　Feet；　by　Monsieur　de　***；　decorated　with　many　Orders〃；
〃The　Errors　of　Voltaire；　for　the　Use　of　the　Young；〃　etc。
Madame　Bovary's　mind　was　not　yet　sufficiently　clear　to　apply
herself　seriously　to　anything；　moreover；　she　began　this　reading
in　too　much　hurry。　She　grew　provoked　at　the　doctrines　of
religion；　the　arrogance　of　the　polemic　writings　displeased　her　by
their　inveteracy　in　attacking　people　she　did　not　know；　and　the
secular　stories；　relieved　with　religion；　seemed　to　her　written　in
such　ignorance　of　the　world；　that　they　insensibly　estranged　her
from　the　truths　for　whose　proof　she　was　looking。　Nevertheless；
she　persevered；　and　when　the　volume　slipped　from　her　hands；　she
fancied　herself　seized　with　the　finest　Catholic　melancholy　that
an　ethereal　soul　could　conceive。
As　for　the　memory　of　Rodolphe；　she　had　thrust　it　back　to　the
bottom　of　her　heart；　and　it　remained　there　more　solemn　and　more
motionless　than　a　king's　mummy　in　a　catacomb。　An　exhalation
escaped　from　this　embalmed　love；　that；　penetrating　through
everything；　perfumed　with　tenderness　the　immaculate　atmosphere　in
which　she　longed　to　live。　When　she　knelt　on　her　Gothic　prie…Dieu；
she　addressed　to　the　Lord　the　same　suave　words　that　she　had
murmured　formerly　to　her　lover　in　the　outpourings　of　adultery。　It
was　to　make　faith　come；　but　no　delights　descended　from　the
heavens；　and　she　arose　with　tired　limbs　and　with　a　vague　feeling
of　a　gigantic　dupery。
This　searching　after　faith；　she　thought；　was　only　one　merit　the
more；　and　in　the　pride　of　her　devoutness　Emma　compared　herself　to
those　grand　ladies　of　long　ago　whose　glory　she；　had　dreamed　of
over　a　portrait　of　La　Valliere；　and　who；　trailing　with　so　much
majesty　the　lace…trimmed　trains　of　their　long　gowns；　retired　into
solitudes　to　shed　at　the　feet　of　Christ　all　the　tears　of　hearts
that　life　had　wounded。
Then　she　gave　herself　up　to　excessive　charity。　She　sewed　clothes
for　the　poor；　she　sent　wood　to　women　in　childbed；　and　Charles　one
day；　on　coming　home；　found　three　good…for…nothings　in　the　kitchen
seated　at　the　table　eating　soup。　She　had　her　little　girl；　whom
during　her　illness　her　husband　had　sent　back　to　the　nurse；
brought　home。　She　wanted　to　teach　her　to　read；　even　when　Berthe
cried；　she　was　not　vexed。　She　had　made　up　her　mind　to
resignation；　to　universal　indulgence。　Her　language　about
everything　was　full　of　ideal　expressions。　She　said　to　her　child；
〃Is　your　stomach…ache　better；　my　angel？〃
Madame　Bovary　senior　found　nothing　to　censure　except　perhaps　this
mania　of　knitting　jackets　for　orphans　instead　of　mending　her　own
house…linen；　but；　harassed　with　domestic　quarrels；　the　good　woman
took　pleasure　in　this　quiet　house；　and　she　even　stayed　there　till
after　Easter；　to　escape　the　sarcasms　of　old　Bovary；　who　never
failed　on　Good　Friday　to　order　chitterlings。
Besides　the　companionship　of　her　mother…in…law；　who　strengthened
her　a　little　by　the　rectitude　of　her　judgment　and　her　grave　ways；
Emma　almost　every　day　had　other　visitors。　These　were　Madame
Langlois；　Madame　Caron；　Madame　Dubreuil；　Madame　Tuvache；　and
regularly　from　two　to　five　o'clock　the　excellent　Madame　Homais；
who；　for　her　part；　had　never　believed　any　of　the　tittle…tattle
about　her　neighbour。　The　little　Homais　also　came　to　see　her；
Justin　accompanied　them。　He　went　up　with　them　to　her　bedroom；　and
remained　standing　near　the　door；　motionless　and　mute。　Often　even
Madame　Bovary；　taking　no　heed　of　him；　began　her　toilette。　She
began　by　taking　out　her　comb；　shaking　her　head　with　a　quick
movement；　and　when　he　for　the　first　time　saw　all　this　mass　of
hair　that　fell　to　her　knees　unrolling　in　black　ringlets；　it　was
to　him；　poor　child！　like　a　sudden　entrance　into　something　new　and
strange；　whose　splendour　terrified　him。
Emma；　no　doubt；　did　not　notice　his　silent　attentions　or　his
timidity。　She　had　no　suspicion　that　the　love　vanished　from　her
life　was　there；　palpitating　by　her　side；　beneath　that　coarse
holland　shirt；　in　that　youthful　heart　open　to　the　emanations　of
her　beauty。　Besides；　she　now　enveloped　all　things　with　such
indifference；　she　had　words　so　affectionate　with　looks　so
haughty；　such　contradictory　ways；　that　one　could　no　longer
distinguish　egotism　from　charity；　or　corruption　from　virtue。　One
evening；　for　example；　she　was　angry　with　the　servant；　who　had
asked　to　go　out；　and　stammered　as　she　tried　to　find　some　pretext。
Then　suddenly
〃So　you　love　him？〃　she　said。
And　without　waiting　for　any　answer　from　Felicite；　who　was
blushing；　she　added；　〃There！　run　along；　enjoy　yourself！〃
In　the　beginning　of　spring　she　had　the　garden　turned　up　from　end
to　end；　despite　Bovary's　remonstrances。　However；　he　was　glad　to
see　her　at　last　manifest　a　wish　of　any　kind。　As　she　grew　stronger
she　displayed　more　wilfulness。　First；　she　found　occasion　to　expel
Mere　Rollet；　the　nurse；　who　during　her　convalescence　had
contracted　the　habit　of　coming　too　often　to　the　kitchen　with　her
two　nurslings　and　her　boarder；　better　off　for　teeth　than　a
cannibal。　Then　she　got　rid　of　the　Homais　family；　successively
dismissed　all　the　other　visitors；　and　even　frequented　church　less
assiduously；　to　the　great　approval　of　the　druggist；　who　said　to
her　in　a　friendly　way
〃You　were　going　in　a　bit　for　the　cassock！〃
As　formerly；　Monsieur　Bournisien　dropped　in　every　day　when　he
came　out　after　catechism　class。　He　preferred　staying　out　of　doors
to　taking　the　air　〃in　the　grove；〃　as　he　called　the　arbour。　This
was　the　time　when　Charles　came　home。　They　were　hot；　some　sweet
cider　was　brought　out；　and　they　drank　together　to　madame's
complete　restoration。
Binet　was　there；　that　is　to　say；　a　little　lower　down　against　the
terrace　wall；　fishing　for　crayfish。　Bovary　invited　him　to　have　a
drink；　and　he　thoroughly　understood　the　uncorking　of　the　stone
bottles。
〃You　must；〃　he　said；　throwing　a　satisfied　glance　all　round　him；
even　to　the　very　extremity　of　the　landscape；　〃hold　the　bottle
perpendicularly　on　the　table；　and　after　the　strings　are　cut；
press　up　the　cork　with　little　thrusts；　gently；　gently；　as　indeed
they　do　seltzer…water　at　restaurants。〃
But　during　his　demonstration　the　cider　often　spurted　right　into
their　faces；　and　then　the　ecclesiastic；　with　a　thick　laugh；　never
missed　this　joke
〃Its　goodness　strikes　the　eye！〃
He　was；　in　fact；　a　good　fellow　and　one　day　he　was　not　even
scandalised　at　the　chemist；　who　advised　Charles　to　give　madame
some　distraction　by　taking　her　to　the　theatre　at　Rouen　to　hear
the　illustrious　tenor；　Lagardy。　Homais；　surprised　at　this
silence；　wanted　to　know　his　opinion；　and　the　priest　declared　that
he　considered　music　less　dangerous　for　morals　than　literature。
But　the　chemist　took　up　the　defence　of　letters。　The　theatre；　he
contended；　served　for　railing　at　prejudices；　and；　beneath　a　mask
of　pleasure；　taught　virtue。
〃'Castigat　ridendo　mores；'*　Monsieur　Bournisien！　Thus　consider
the　greater　part　of　Voltaire's　tragedies；　they　are　cleverly
strewn　with　philosophical　reflections；　that　made　them　a　vast
school　of　morals　and　diplomacy　for　the　people。〃
*It　corrects　customs　through　laughter。

〃I；〃　said　Binet；　〃once　saw　a　piece　called　the　'Gamin　de　Paris；'
in　which　there　was　the　character　of　an　old　general　that　is　really
hit　off　to　a　T。　He　sets　down　a　young　swell　who　had　seduced　a
working　girl；　who　at　the　ending〃
〃Certainly；〃　continued　Homais；　〃there　is　bad　literature　as　there
is　bad　pharmacy；　but　to　condemn　in　a　lump　the　most　important　of
the　fine　arts　seems　to　me　a　stupidity；　a　Gothic　idea；　worthy　of
the　abominable　times　that　imprisoned　Galileo。〃
〃I　know　very　well；〃　objected　the　cure；　〃that　there　are　good
works；　good　authors。　However；　if　it　were　only　those　persons　of
different　sexes　united　in　a　bewitching　apartment；　decorated
rouge；　those　lights；　those　effeminate　voices；　all　this　must；　in
the　long…run；　engender　a　certain　mental　libertinage；　give　rise　to
immodest　thoughts　and　impure　temptations。　Such；　at　any　rate；　is
the　opinion　of　all　the　Fathers。　Finally；〃　he　added；　suddenly
assuming　a　mystic　tone　of　voice　while　he　rolled　a　pinch　of　snuff
between　his　fingers；　〃if　the　Church　has　condemned　the　theatre；
she　must　be　right；　we　must　submit　to　her　decrees。〃
〃Why；〃　asked　the　druggist；　〃should　she　excommuni