madame bovary(包法利夫人)-第80章

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travellers　of　the　vain　attempt　of　the　druggist；　to　such　an
extent；　that　Homais　when　he　went　to　town　hid　himself　behind　the
curtains　of　the　〃Hirondelle〃　to　avoid　meeting　him。　He　detested
him；　and　wishing；　in　the　interests　of　his　own　reputation；　to　get
rid　of　him　at　all　costs；　he　directed　against　him　a　secret
battery；　that　betrayed　the　depth　of　his　intellect　and　the
baseness　of　his　vanity。　Thus；　for　six　consecutive　months；　one
could　read　in　the　〃Fanal　de　Rouen〃　editorials　such　as　these
〃All　who　bend　their　steps　towards　the　fertile　plains　of　Picardy
have；　no　doubt；　remarked；　by　the　Bois…Guillaume　hill；　a　wretch
suffering　from　a　horrible　facial　wound。　He　importunes；　persecutes
one；　and　levies　a　regular　tax　on　all　travellers。　Are　we　still
living　in　the　monstrous　times　of　the　Middle　Ages；　when　vagabonds
were　permitted　to　display　in　our　public　places　leprosy　and
scrofulas　they　had　brought　back　from　the　Crusades？〃
Or
〃In　spite　of　the　laws　against　vagabondage；　the　approaches　to　our
great　towns　continue　to　be　infected　by　bands　of　beggars。　Some　are
seen　going　about　alone；　and　these　are　not；　perhaps；　the　least
dangerous。　What　are　our　ediles　about？〃
Then　Homais　invented　anecdotes
〃Yesterday；　by　the　Bois…Guillaume　hill；　a　skittish　horse〃　And
then　followed　the　story　of　an　accident　caused　by　the　presence　of
the　blind　man。
He　managed　so　well　that　the　fellow　was　locked　up。　But　he　was
released。　He　began　again；　and　Homais　began　again。　It　was　a
struggle。　Homais　won　it；　for　his　foe　was　condemned　to　life…long
confinement　in　an　asylum。
This　success　emboldened　him；　and　henceforth　there　was　no　longer　a
dog　run　over；　a　barn　burnt　down；　a　woman　beaten　in　the　parish；　of
which　he　did　not　immediately　inform　the　public；　guided　always　by
the　love　of　progress　and　the　hate　of　priests。　He　instituted
comparisons　between　the　elementary　and　clerical　schools　to　the
detriment　of　the　latter；　called　to　mind　the　massacre　of　St。
Bartholomew　a　propos　of　a　grant　of　one　hundred　francs　to　the
church；　and　denounced　abuses；　aired　new　views。　That　was　his
phrase。　Homais　was　digging　and　delving；　he　was　becoming
dangerous。
However；　he　was　stifling　in　the　narrow　limits　of　journalism；　and
soon　a　book；　a　work　was　necessary　to　him。　Then　he　composed
〃General　Statistics　of　the　Canton　of　Yonville；　followed　by
Climatological　Remarks。〃　The　statistics　drove　him　to　philosophy。
He　busied　himself　with　great　questions：　the　social　problem：
moralisation　of　the　poorer　classes；　pisciculture；　caoutchouc；
railways；　etc。　He　even　began　to　blush　at　being　a　bourgeois。　He
affected　the　artistic　style；　he　smoked。　He　bought　two　chic
Pompadour　statuettes　to　adorn　his　drawing…room。
He　by　no　means　gave　up　his　shop。　On　the　contrary；　he　kept　well
abreast　of　new　discoveries。　He　followed　the　great　movement　of
chocolates；　he　was　the　first　to　introduce　〃cocoa〃　and　〃revalenta〃
into　the　Seine…Inferieure。　He　was　enthusiastic　about　the
hydro…electric　Pulvermacher　chains；　he　wore　one　himself；　and　when
at　night　he　took　off　his　flannel　vest；　Madame　Homais　stood　quite
dazzled　before　the　golden　spiral　beneath　which　he　was　hidden；
and　felt　her　ardour　redouble　for　this　man　more　bandaged　than　a
Scythian；　and　splendid　as　one　of　the　Magi。
He　had　fine　ideas　about　Emma's　tomb。　First　he　proposed　a　broken
column　with　some　drapery；　next　a　pyramid；　then　a　Temple　of　Vesta；
a　sort　of　rotunda；　or　else　a　〃mass　of　ruins。〃　And　in　all　his
plans　Homais　always　stuck　to　the　weeping　willow；　which　he　looked
upon　as　the　indispensable　symbol　of　sorrow。
Charles　and　he　made　a　journey　to　Rouen　together　to　look　at　some
tombs　at　a　funeral　furnisher's；　accompanied　by　an　artist；　one
Vaufrylard；　a　friend　of　Bridoux's；　who　made　puns　all　the　time。　At
last；　after　having　examined　some　hundred　designs；　having　ordered
an　estimate　and　made　another　journey　to　Rouen；　Charles　decided　in
favour　of　a　mausoleum；　which　on　the　two　principal　sides　was　to
have　a　〃spirit　bearing　an　extinguished　torch。〃
As　to　the　inscription；　Homais　could　think　of　nothing　so　fine　as
Sta　viator*；　and　he　got　no　further；　he　racked　his　brain；　he
constantly　repeated　Sta　viator。　At　last　he　hit　upon　Amabilen
conjugem　calcas**；　which　was　adopted。
*　Rest　traveler。
**　Tread　upon　a　loving　wife。

A　strange　thing　was　that　Bovary；　while　continually　thinking　of
Emma；　was　forgetting　her。　He　grew　desperate　as　he　felt　this　image
fading　from　his　memory　in　spite　of　all　efforts　to　retain　it。　Yet
every　night　he　dreamt　of　her；　it　was　always　the　same　dream。　He
drew　near　her；　but　when　he　was　about　to　clasp　her　she　fell　into
decay　in　his　arms。
For　a　week　he　was　seen　going　to　church　in　the　evening。　Monsieur
Bournisien　even　paid　him　two　or　three　visits；　then　gave　him　up。
Moreover；　the　old　fellow　was　growing　intolerant；　fanatic；　said
Homais。　He　thundered　against　the　spirit　of　the　age；　and　never
failed；　every　other　week；　in　his　sermon；　to　recount　the　death
agony　of　Voltaire；　who　died　devouring　his　excrements；　as　everyone
knows。
In　spite　of　the　economy　with　which　Bovary　lived；　he　was　far　from
being　able　to　pay　off　his　old　debts。　Lheureux　refused　to　renew
any　more　bills。　A　distraint　became　imminent。　Then　he　appealed　to
his　mother；　who　consented　to　let　him　take　a　mortgage　on　her
property；　but　with　a　great　many　recriminations　against　Emma；　and
in　return　for　her　sacrifice　she　asked　for　a　shawl　that　had
escaped　the　depredations　of　Felicite。　Charles　refused　to　give　it
her；　they　quarrelled。
She　made　the　first　overtures　of　reconciliation　by　offering　to
have　the　little　girl；　who　could　help　her　in　the　house；　to　live
with　her。　Charles　consented　to　this；　but　when　the　time　for
parting　came；　all　his　courage　failed　him。　Then　there　was　a　final；
complete　rupture。
As　his　affections　vanished；　he　clung　more　closely　to　the　love　of
his　child。　She　made　him　anxious；　however；　for　she　coughed
sometimes；　and　had　red　spots　on　her　cheeks。
Opposite　his　house；　flourishing　and　merry；　was　the　family　of　the
chemist；　with　whom　everything　was　prospering。　Napoleon　helped　him
in　the　laboratory；　Athalie　embroidered　him　a　skullcap；　Irma　cut
out　rounds　of　paper　to　cover　the　preserves；　and　Franklin　recited
Pythagoras'　table　in　a　breath。　He　was　the　happiest　of　fathers；
the　most　fortunate　of　men。
Not　so！　A　secret　ambition　devoured　him。　Homais　hankered　after　the
cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honour。　He　had　plenty　of　claims　to　it。
〃First；　having　at　the　time　of　the　cholera　distinguished　myself　by
a　boundless　devotion；　second；　by　having　published；　at　my　expense；
various　works　of　public　utility；　such　as〃　（and　he　recalled　his
pamphlet　entitled；　〃Cider；　its　manufacture　and　effects；〃　besides
observation　on　the　lanigerous　plant…louse；　sent　to　the　Academy；
his　volume　of　statistics；　and　down　to　his　pharmaceutical　thesis）；
〃without　counting　that　I　am　a　member　of　several　learned
societies〃　（he　was　member　of　a　single　one）。
〃In　short！〃　he　cried；　making　a　pirouette；　〃if　it　were　only　for
distinguishing　myself　at　fires！〃
Then　Homais　inclined　towards　the　Government。　He　secretly　did　the
prefect　great　service　during　the　elections。　He　sold　himselfin　a
word；　prostituted　himself。　He　even　addressed　a　petition　to　the
sovereign　in　which　he　implored　him　to　〃do　him　justice〃；　he　called
him　〃our　good　king；〃　and　compared　him　to　Henri　IV。
And　every　morning　the　druggist　rushed　for　the　paper　to　see　if　his
nomination　were　in　it。　It　was　never　there。　At　last；　unable　to
bear　it　any　longer；　he　had　a　grass　plot　in　his　garden　designed　to
represent　the　Star　of　the　Cross　of　Honour　with　two　little　strips
of　grass　running　from　the　top　to　imitate　the　ribband。　He　walked
round　it　with　folded　arms；　meditating　on　the　folly　of　the
Government　and　the　ingratitude　of　men。
》From　respect；　or　from　a　sort　of　sensuality　that　made　him　carry　on
his　investigations　slowly；　Charles　had　not　yet　opened　the　secret
drawer　of　a　rosewood　desk　which　Emma　had　generally　used。　One　day；
however；　he　sat　down　before　it；　turned　the　key；　and　pressed　the
spring。　All　Leon's　letters　were　there。　There　could　be　no　doubt
this　time。　He　devoured　them　to　the　very　last；　ransacked　every
corner；　all　the　furniture；　all　the　drawers；　behind　the　walls；
sobbing；　crying　aloud；　distraught；　mad。　He　found　a　box　and　broke
it　open　with　a　kick。